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institution: 

Library  of  the  Public 
Archives  of  Canada 

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1  2  3 


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2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

THE  IROQUOIS 


AND 


THE  JESUITS 


The  Story  of  the  Labors  of  Catholic 

Missionaries  Among  these  Indians 


By  Rev.  THOMAS  DONOHOE,  D.  D. 


BUFFALO.  N.  Y.: 
BoxTALo  Catholic  Pttblioatioii  C!o., 

ma. 


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Copyright,  1894. 
Bv  Rev.  THOMAS  DONOHOE,  D.  D. 


•     ••    ••••    •     •     •••* 

•  •  ••  ••  •••  .«  ••      «•• 

»   •  ••  •   , ,• , ,   ,  •,•      r  *.♦ 


TO  THE 


RT.   REV.  S.   V.   RYAN, 


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BISHOP  OF  BUFFALO, 


THIS  VOLUME 


IS  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED. 


it*"' 


PREFACE. 


THE  Indian  race  is  slowly,  but  surely  disappearing 
before  the  advancing  hordes  of  their  pale-faced 
brothers.  The  lives  of  these  red  men  have  formed  the 
theme  of  many  a  story  of  love,  and  war,  and  hate.  They 
knew  not  peace,  for  their  chief  glory  was  war.  Though 
the  race  is  fast  fading,  like  the  mists  of  the  morning,  the 
still  hovering  sun-tinted  vapors  suggest  fanciful  visions 
of  mysterious  life,  and  allure  us  to  peer  into  the  gloom  to 
view  their  forest  homes,  for  we  are  all  children  of  nature. 
Indian  story  furnishes  much  of  the  romance  for  childhood, 
and  the  religious  theory  and  progress  of  the  race  should 
constitute  an  interesting  reality  for  mature  years,  as  they 
are  an  integral  part  of  the  human  race. 

Many  Indian  nations  dwelt  along  the  shores  of  the 
lakes  and  streams  now  dotted  with  populous  cities  and 
towns,  and  their  life  for  us  must  reflect  a  romantic  hue, 
because  so  different  from  our  own;  and  as  the  religious 
element  is  an  important  factor  in  the  history  of  nations, 
races,  and  tribes,  it  is  interesting  to  know  what  they  be- 
lieved and  how  they  were  led  to  the  knowledge  of  God. 
Catholic  missionaries  bore  the  light  of  the  Gospel  to  the 


VI  PREFACE. 

Iroquois,  whilst  these  still  dwelt  in  their  forest  homes, 
where  the  only  memorials  of  their  former  habitation  still 
linger  in  the  names  they  had  given  to  the  rivers  and  lakes. 

It  was  not  necessary  to  delve  into  the  dust  bins  of 
history,  or  hidden  archives,  for  much  of  the  material  of 
this  volume,  as  many  of  the  events  here  narratated  have 
been  minutely  described  in  the  "Relations  de  la  Nouvelle 
France;"  but  as  these  only  exist  in  an  obsolete  form  of  a 
foreign  language  they  are  practically  inaccessible  to  the 
general  public. 

These  "Relations"  were  letters  written  by  the  Jesuits 
from  their  mission  fields  to  their  superiors  at  Quebec, 
giving  an  account  of  their  labors,  their  success  or  failure, 
and  the  peculiarities  of  Indian  life;  and  as  these  mission- 
aries knew  the  language  of  the  nations  among  whom 
they  iwelt,  and  had  the  best  opportunity  of  studying 
their  customs,  their  writings  form  the  most  authentic 
sources  of  information  upon  the  domestic  and  religious 
life  of  the  Indians  of  America. 

This  subject  was  first  undertaken  as  a  matter  of 
curiosity ;  but  as  it  grew  in  interest  it  became  a  labor  of 
love,  until  it  seemed  a  duty  to  let  the  public  view  the 
distant  past  as  it  appeared  to  a  student  of  many  a  musty 
tome  and  learned  volume.  The  work  might  be  made 
more  comprehensive;  but  then  it  would  exceed  the  limits 
of  a  small  volume,  and  even  in  its  present  form  it  may 
serve  *o  pass  a  profitable  hour  or  to  shed  some  light  upon 
the  glorious  labors  of  those  who  first  penetrated  the  forests 


t>REFACE.  VII 

of  Central  and  Western  New  York  to  bear  the  Gospel  to 
the  powerful  Iroquois. 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  acknowledge  the  aid  I  received 
in  this  work  from  General  Clark,  of  Auburn.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  establishing  the  locations  of  towns 
mentioned  in  celebrated  documents,  and  he  generously 
communicates  the  results  of  his  labors  to  mere  tyros  in 
the  field.  To  Dean  Harris,  to  Father  Jones,  S.  J.,  of  St. 
Mary's  College,  Montreal,  and  to  the  Rev.  J.  V.  Burtin,  O. 
M.  I.,  I  also  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  for  valuable 
information  and  advice. 

THOMAS  DONOHOE. 


Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  May  21,  189s. 


CONTENTS. 


PAOI. 

Chapter  i.     The  Iroquois 1 

Their  habits;  their  homes;  their  origin;  the  Kahquahs  or  Neuters; 
the  Iroquoir  country;  population;  Kahquahs;  food;  social  amusements 
of  the  Iroquois;  festivals;  marriage;  league  of  the  Iroquois;  govern- 
ment; trade. 

Chapter  ii.     Locations  of  the  Iroquois  Towns.  13 

Indian  towns  not  permanent;  Mohawk  towns;  destroyed  by  the 
French;  Greenhalgh's  description;  Oneida  towns;  Onondaga  the  cap- 
ital; St.  Mary's  of  Ganentaa;  Cayuga  villages;  many  Cayugas  remove 
to  Canada;  Seneca  towns  according  to  a  Seneca  chief;  Jesuit  names  of 
Seneca  villages;  locations. 

Chapter  in.     Religious  Belief 21 

Religious  belief  preserved  by  tradition;  their  idea  of  God;  creation 
of  the  world;  origin  of  evil;  inferior  spirits  or  manitous;  dream  theory; 
festival  of  dreams;  the  soul;  the  Indian's  heaven;  the  soul  can  act  in- 
dependently of  the  body;  veneration  for  the  dead;  festival  of  the  dead ; 
vices  of  savages. 


Chapter  iv.  Advent  of  Europeans. 


27 


Indians  kindly  disposed  towards  whites;  Cartier  explores  the  St. 
Lawrence;  Hrst  meeting  of  French  and  Iroquois  was  hostile;  Champ- 
lain  fought  with  the  Montagnais  against  the  Mohawks;  Iroquois  fled 
at  sound  of  guns;  Champlain's  expedition  against  the  Iroquois;  French 
made  friends  of  the  Hurons;  missioners;  the  Recollects;  the  Huron 
mission;  journey  to  the  Huron  country. 

Chapter  v.     First  Attempts 32 

Capture  of  Father  Paulain;   Fat!ier  D'Aillon,  Recollect,  visits  the 


CONTENTS. 

Neuters;  visited  many  villages;  Brebeuf  and  Chaumonot,  Jesuits,  visit 
the  Neuters;  reach  the  Niagara;  Huron  Christians  come  as  missioners; 
Jogues,  first  missioner  to  the  Iroquois;  taken  prisoner;  tortured;  death 
of  Rene  Goupil ;  captivity;  escape;  first  mission  work. 


Chapter  vi.     War. 


40 


Montmagny  builds  Fort  Richelieu;  Iroquois,  the  scourge  of  Cath- 
olic missions  and  French  colony;  wealthy  Catholics  of  France  come  to 
rescue;  capture  of  Bressani ;  tortures;  peace  councils;  Jogues,  French 
ambassador  to  the  Mohawks;  consoles  Christian  captives;  the  mysteri- 
ous box. 

Chapter  vii.     The  First  Missioner  to  the  Iroquois.      46 

Father  Jogues  goes  as  missioner  to  the  Mohawks;  predicts  his  death; 
the  corn  crop  fails;  the  mysterious  box;  war  party  captures  Jogues; 
clans  do  not  agree  on  his  fate;  treacherously  slain;  the  murderer  takes 
Jogues' name  in  baptism. 


Chapter  viii.    War  of  Extermination. 


49 


Missioners  among  the  Hurons;  their  manner  of  living;  to  arms,  the 
Iroquois  come;  attack  on  St.  Joseph's  mission;  Hurons  fly  to  the 
chapel;  Christian  Hurons  led  captive  to  Iroquois  country;  St.  Ignace 
destroyed;  savage  slaughter;  Jesuit  martyrs;  the  Huron  nation  dis- 
persed; Iroquois  exterminate  the  Kahquahs;  fidelity  of  Huron  captives. 


Chapter  ix.    Episodes  of  War. 


56 


•roquois  plunder  French;  Algonquins  attacked;  slaughter  of  Petuns; 
Father  Gamier  killed;  capture  of  Father  Poncet;  tortured  by  Mohawks; 
restored  to  Quebec;  Mohawks  propose  peace;  Algonquin  traders;  new 
mis;-ion  field;  Father  Garreau  slain ;  Iroquois  reason  for  peace;  bright 
prospects. 


Chapter  x.     Peace. 


63 


Onondagas  and  Oneidas  propose  peace;  Senecas  and  Cayugas  fol- 
low; Mohawks  send  deputies;  preliminaries;  French  and  Fathers  re- 
joice; doubtful  sincerity;  Iroquois  renounce  cannibalism;  LeMoyne 
visits  the  Iroquois  country;  hears  confession  of  Hurons;  many  Chris- 
tians; the  council;  Onondagas  ask  for  missioners. 


CONTENTS. 


Xt 


Chapter  xi.     Missions  Begun 70 

Chaumonot  and  Doblon,  missioners  to  the  Iroquois;  fantastic  faith 
in  dreams;  Chaumonot  meets  old  friends;  warm  welcome;  public 
;  meeting;  Chaumonot's  eloquence;  Fathers  begin  to  teach;  first  church 
in  New  York  State;  French  colony  at  Onondaga;  site  for  new  chape' 
progress;  Gospel  announced  to  the  Cayugas;  chapel  built;  opposition; 
Mesnard  withdraws;  Chaumonot  bears  the  Gospel  to  the  Senecas; 
many  Huron  Christians  in  Seneca  country;  Chaumonot  and  Mesnard 
v'isit  the  Oneidas;  council  held;  the  Mohawks  attack  Christian  Hurons; 
LeMoyne  visits  Mohawks;  success  at  Onondaga;  danger;  were  the 
Iroquois  sincere;  treachery;  secret  council  resolved  to  massacre  French; 
preparing  for  flight;  banqueting  the  enemy;  flight  of  the  French;  re- 
sult of  the  first  mission. 

Chapter  xii.     War  and  Peace 93 

Indian  warfare;  missioners  blockaded;  Onondagas  propose  peac« , 
LeMoyne  goes  to  Onondaga;  council;  French  too  weak  to  refuse 
peace;  LaMoyne  labors  among  Iroquois;  faith  of  Christian  Indians; 
troops  arrive  from  France;  expedition  against  Mohawks;  peace. 

Chapter  xiii.    New  Missions 102 

Blessings  of  peace;  mission  journey  to  the  Iroquois;  Indian  offering 
to  invisible  people;  visit  to  the  Mohawks;  council;  chapel  built;  Huron 
fidelity;  chapel  built  at  Oneida;  Gamier  visits  Onondaga;  Garakontie 
assists;  Carheil  visits  Cayuga;  chapel  built;  few  converts;  Fremin  visits 
the  Senecas;  chapel  built;  Christian  Huron  captives;  daily  routine; 
instructing  captives  at  the  stake;  difficulties. 

Chapter  xiv.     The  Mission  in  1669.      .        .        .114 

Pierron  among  the  Mohawks;  piety  of  Christians;  excessive  liquor 
drinking;  Pierron  pleads  for  temperance;  Mohawk-Mohigau  war;  in- 
structing captives;  Bruyasat  Oneida;  Oneidas  opposed  to  Christianity; 
reviving  faith  at  Onondaga;  dream  worship;  labors  of  Fathers;  death 
at  the  stake;  Carheil  at  Cayuga;  Indian  medical  science;  Cayugas 
dread  baptism;  building  a  prand  chapel;  Fathers  among  the  Senecas; 
first  church  council;  danger;  new  mission;  progress  of  Christianity. 

Chapter  xv.     The  Missions  in  the  Year  1670.       .      127 

Bright  prospects;  peace  council  at  Quebec;  baptism  of  Garakontie; 
opposition  of  the  Dutch;  Indians  defend  their  faith;  Pierron  assails 
Mohawk  customs;  Mohawks  reply;  renounce  worship  ofAgreskoue; 


)a\       '  CONTENTS. 

drunken  revelry  at  Oneida;  zefal  of  Millet  at  Onondaga;  Garakontie's 
counsel;  good  effects;  Huron  Christians;  Pagan  prejudices  at  Cayuga; 
dream  theory;  Huron  Christians  of  Gandougarae;  examples  of  piety ; 
Indian  idea  of  heaven;  dreams. 

Chapter  xvi.     The  Iroquois  Missions  in  167  i.        .      147 

Many  baptisms;  examples  of  piety;  Garakontie's  faith;  condemns 
dream  folly;  hatred  of  sin;  Gandougarae  destroyed;  liquor  drinking; 
obstacles  to  faith;  delayed  conversions;  baptism  of  Saonchiogwa; 
council  at  Quebec;  Iroquois  exiles. 

Chapter  xvii.     Missions  in  the  iRoauois  Country —     158 

(continued). 
Few  converts;  Cai  .olic  Iroquois  emigrate;  fervor  among  the  Mo- 
hawks; Bruyas  at  Tionnontoguen;  drunkenness;  conferences  at  Oneida; 
influence  of  sorcerers;  Pagan  belief;  Garakontie's  example;  obstacles 
to  conversion;  practice  of  medicine;  Raffeix  charmed  with  Cayuga; 
piety  at  Cayuga;  chapels  among  the  Senecas;  false  notions;  omens  of 
evil. 

Chapter  xviii.  The  Missions  in  the  Iroquois  Country—  169 

(continued). 

Father  Boniface  retires;  chief  Assendase;  statue  of  Blessed  Virgin; 
Bruyas  goes  to  Onondaga;  Pagans  dominant  at  Oneida;  Cliristian 
family  life;  converts  become  apostles;  healing  the  sick;  death  of  Gar- 
akontie;  Carheil's  patience;  interest  in  sorcery;  Pagan  preaches  Chris- 
tianity; slaves  willing  converts;  Iroquois  invited  to  meet  Governor 
Frontenac;  Fort  Cataroquoi;  the  liquor  evil;  rumblings  of  war. 

Chapter  xix.     Conclusion  of  the  Missions  in  the 

lRO(2yois  Country 180 

Dutch  indifferent  to  Indian  advancement;  England  and  France  rival 
powers  for  dominion;  the  fur  trade;  French  missionaries  divert  trade 
from  the  English;  efforts  to  counteract  the  missioners'  influence; 
Dongan  promises  English  priests  if  Iroquois  will  banish  French;  Iro- 
quois valuable  allies;  both  English  and  French  claim  territory  of  the 
Iroquois;  Iroquois  divided  in  fealty;  Christian  Iroquois  leave  their 
homes;  missioners  leave  the  Mohawks;  close  of  the  mission;  Senecas' 
interests  promoted  by  alliance  with  English;  deceived  by  LaSalle; 
Governor  De  la  Barre  invites  Iroquois  to  a  council;  Governor  Dongan 
invites  them  to  English  council;  threatened  war  forces  Fathers  to 


CONTENTS. 


XIH 


leave;  DeLamberville  the  innocent  instrument  of  deceit;  DenonvilU 
invades  Seneca  country;  Senecas  retaliate;  Iroquois  unite  with  English 
in  war  against  France;  Millet  prisoner  at  Oneida;  peace;  Iroquois  re- 
quest rnissioners  to  return;  Catholic  priests  banished  from  New  York 
State  by  English  law;  Fathers  return;  close  of  missions. 

Chapter  XX,     Result  of  the  Missions.  .        .      197 

Cannibalism  abandoned;  hatred  supplanted  by  love;  Christian 
trutlis  adopted  by  Iroquois;  religious  strife  of  Europeans  obstacle  to 
faith;  sacrifices  of  Christian  Indians;  Indian  martyrs;  pious  examples; 
kind  and  pious  ladies  of  France  help  tc  educate  Indians;  Jesuits  start 
seminary  at  Quebec;  Ursulines  open  convent  for  Indians;  Indians  pre- 
fer forest  freedom  to  convent  walls;  Iroquois  girls  most  tractable; 
Christian  Indians  prized  Catholic  books;  schools  in  the  forests;  schools 
at  the  Catholic  settlements. 

Chapter  xxi.     LaSalle  and  Father  Hennepin.       .      207 

LaSalle  learns  topography  of  country  from  Iroquois;  water  route  to 
East  Indies;  expedition  for  faith  and  fame;  visit  Senecas;  visitors  re- 
galed with  roast  dog;  visit  Niagara  River;  Dollier  and  Galinee  build 
first  chapel  on  Lake  Erie;  winter  sojourn  in  the  forest;  lake  storm 
ends  missionary  enterprise;  second  expedition;  building  of  the  Griffon; 
Te  Deum  at  Niagara;  first  record  of  mass  at  Niagara;  Hennepin's 
midwinter  journey  to  Senecas;  where  the  Griffon  was  built;  Griffon 
anchored  at  Squaw  Island;  first  religious  service  in  Buffalo;  loss  of  the 
Griffon. 


Chapter  xxii.     Garacontie. 


214 


Great  orator;  hears  the  eloquent  Chaumonot;  encourages  Christians; 
friend  of  the  French;  gives  his  cabin  for  a  chapel;  temperance  advo- 
cate; eulogy  of  LeMoyne;  Garacontie  at  the  great  council;  his  baptism; 
his  piety  and  zeal;  publicly  professes  Christianity;  farewell  banquets; 
preparing  for  the  end;  happy  death. 

Chapter  xxiii.     Catherine  Tegakouita.        .        .      222 

Pagan  Indians  immoral;  hidden  virtues  of  converts;  Catherine's 
birth  place;  her  paren.  small  pox  ravages;  change  of  home;  first 
meeting  with  missioners,  esires  to  become  a  Christian;  her  baptism; 
persecution;  flight;  life  at  the  Sault;  vows  virginity;  failing  health; 
honored  as  a  saint;  her  relics. 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter  xxiv.  Father  Jogues 230 

At  college;  on  the  Huron  mission;  journey  to  Quebec;  capture; 
torture;  captivity;  escape;  ambassador  to  Mohawks;  the  mysterious 
box;  first  missioner  to  Mohawks;  danger;  death;  chapel  erected  to  his 
memory;  pilgrim  shrine. 

Chapter  xxv.     Mission  of  the  Presentation.        .      236 

Father  r';:juet  founds  a  mission  for  Iroquois;  English  opposition; 
mission  house  burned  by  Mohawks;  Piquet's  missionary  cruise;  French 
fort  at  Ogdensburg  an  encroachment  upon  Englisii  rights;  war  inci- 
dents; French  forts  fall;  Piquet  retires;  returns  to  France. 

Chapter  xxvi.    The  Reductions.  .        .        .      242 

Huron  settlement  at  Lorette;  Prairie  de  La  Madeleine;  new  home 
for  Iroquois  Catholics;  first  settlers;  chapel  built;  school  started;  visit 
of  Bishop  Laval;  changes  of  location;  model  Christian  community; 
famous  pastors;  bell  for  the  church;  bell  captured  by  British;  Indians 
lament  the  loss;  to  the  rescue;  recaptured;  rejoicing;  the  saintly  Mo- 
hawk; Cayuga  settlement;  Sulpitian  missions;  Recollects;  St.  Regis 
colony;  church  and  schools;  Mohawks  fight  with  the  British  in  the 
Revolution;  Oneidas  friendly  to  Americans;  Oneidas  in  the  west;  re- 
cent converts;  expedition  against  Onondagas;  Sullivan's  expedition; 
remnant  of  the  race. 

Chapter  xxvii.    The  Missioners.  .        .        .261 

The  missionary  spirit;  religious  orders;  missionary  life;  travel  to  the 
mission  fields;  life  on  the  Indian  missions;  missioners  scientific  ex- 
plorers and  discoverers;  missioners  first  historians;  Jesuit  Relations 
most  authentic  source  of  early  history;  Jesuits  pioneers  among  the 
Iroquois;  martyrdom;  missioner 's  reward;  blood  of  martyrs  the  seed 
of  Christians;  virtues  of  the  missioner. 

Appendix 270 


/  •■.; 


II 


CHAPTER  I. 


THB   IROQUOIS. 

THEIR  HABITS-THEIR  HOMES-THEIR  ORIGIN-THE  KAHaUAHS  OR 
NEUTERS-THE  IROQUOIS  COUNTRY-POPULATION-KAHQ.UAHS 
-FOOD-SOCIAL  AMUSEMENTS  OF  THE  IROQUOIS-FESTIVALS- 
MARRIAGE-LEAGUE  OF  THE  IROQUOIS-GOVERNMENT-TRADE. 

WHEN  the  white  man  first  placed  foot  on  the  soil 
of  the  present  State  of  New  York  various  Indian 
tribes  inhabited  different  sections  of  the  State. 
These  tribes'  were  of  a  nomadic  nature,  for,  although 
they  had  stable  and  populous  villages  and  well-appointed 
towns,  yet  victory  or  defeat  in  war,  the  infertility  of  the 
soil,  the  insalubrity  of  climate,  or  malarial  conditions 
arising  from  the  absence  of  any  sanitary  system,  often 
necessitated  a  change  of  locality,  which  was  the  more 
readily  undertaken,  as  it  was  very  easily  accomplished. 
Their  homes  were  made  of  the  fresh  chestnut  ^r  walnut 
saplings  driven  into  the  ground  and  lapped  over  at  the 
top  to  form  an  arched  roof,  which  was  covered  with 
bark,  and  when  the  intervening  spaces  were  filled  in 
with  clay  or  rushes  the  Indian  house  was  complete. 

The  interior  decorations  and  furniture  were  of  the 
most  simple  nature:  a  few  bear,  deer  or  buffalo  skins, 
which  served  as  a  couch  at  night  or  an  outer  garment  in 
the  day ;  a  few  rude  stone  implements  of  agriculture  or 

I  The  mound  builders  were  these  same  Indians,  and  their  mounds  were  either  torts 
built  before  the  Iroquois  Confederacy,  or  mausoleums  of  the  dead. 


'  I : 


! 


!^ 


fi  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

instruments  of  war;  a  few  dismal  trophies  of  victory, 
formed  the  ricr\es  of  the  Indian's  home,  and,  with  some 
dried  n^eat  and  corn,  constituted  the  aggregate  of  his 
wealth. 

When  circumstances,  therefore,  required  removal,  in  a 
few  hours  he  could  gather  his  riches,  destroy  his  cabin, 
and  be  ready  to  migrate  to  another  location,  where  a  few 
hours'  labor,  with  the  materials  that  Nature  everywhere 
abundantly  supplied,  would  suffice  for  the  formation  of  a 
new  village  and  the  establishment  of  a  new  home. '  Split 
saplings  were  run  transversely  along  the  roof  and  sides  of 
their  cabins,  and  were  firmly  bound  with  linden  cords  to 
keep  the  back  covering  in  position.  These  huts  were 
sometimes  made  long  enough  to  accommodate  many 
families  ranged  on  either  side,  with  the  fire  places  in 
the  centre,  and  an  aperture  in  the  top,  which  served  the 
double  purpose  of  a  window  and  a  chimney.  Often  the 
towns  were  fortified ;  and  in  such  cases  they  were  built 
on  an  eminence,  and  were  completely  surrounded  with 
strong  palisades,  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high,  which  were 
driven  into  the  ground  in  close  triple  row  around  the 
town. 

Where  the  Iroquois  originally  came  from  may  be  a 
matter  of  conjecture;  but  their  own  traditions  relate  that 
they  came  direct  to  New  York  State  from  the  region  of 
the  Algonquins,  near  the  present  site  of  Montreal.  Their 
traditions  also  indicate  that  they  were  noi  hunters  and 
warriors,  but  captives  and  slaves  of  the  Algonquins,  who 
used  them  as  menials  in  war  and  in  the  hunt;  but  so  suc- 
cessful were  they  in  these  affairs  that  they  awakened  the 
jealousy  and   aroused  the  anger  of  their  masters,  and 

I  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  give  the  exact  location  of  their  villages;   and  historian 
disagree  on  this  point,  because  tney  treat  of  different  periods  of  time. 


THEIR   ORIGIN.  3 

several  of  the  Iroquois  braves  were  murdered  by  their 
envious  Aigonquins  lords.  This  fact  incited  the  entire 
tribe  to  rebel,  and  encouraged  them  to  strive  for  liberty 
and  the  possession  of  a  country  of  their  ov/n.  They 
succeeded  in  escaping  to  the  present  State  of  New  York ; 
and,  as  five  distinct  nations,  they  settled  in  the  valleys  and 
along  the  lakes  that  now  bear  their  names. 

it  is  pretty  well  established  that  all  the  Indians  of  North 
America  primitively  came  from  Asia  and  Tartary  across 
Behrings  Strait  to  the  American  Continent.  A  fact  cor- 
roborative of  this  theory  shows,  at  least,  the  possibility 
and  probability  of  such  emigration. 

Father  Grelon  was  one  of  the  first  Jesuits  on  the 
Huron  missions  around  Georgian  Bay,  and  some  years 
afterwards  he  was  in  Asia,  where  he  met  a  female  slave 
whom  he  had  known  in  the  Huron  country.  This  slave 
had  been  sold  from  tribe  to  tribe  until  sh*^  finally,  in  her 
wanderings,  reached  the  plains  of  Asia. 

When  white  men  first  entered  the  present  State  of 
New  York,  and  approached  the  homes  of  its  Indian 
dwellers,  the  central  and  western  sections  of  the  State 
were  inhabited  principally  by  the  tribes  known  to  us  as 
the  Iroquois.  There  were  five  distinct  nations  of  the 
Iroquois:  The  Mohawks,  who  dwelt  in  the  Mohawk 
Valley;  the  Oneidas,  near  Lake  Oneida;  the  Onondagas, 
near  Lake  Onondaga;  the  Cayugas,  near  Lake  Cayuga; 
and  the  Senecas,  who  dwelt  in  the  valley  of  the  Genesee. 
West  of  the  Senecas  and  between  Lake  Erie  and  Lake 
Ontario,  near  the  Niagara  River,  were  four  villages  of  the 
Kahquahs,  or  Neuter  Nation.  Before  1639,  however, 
another  nation,  called  the  Eurohronons, '  dwelt  west  of  the 
Genesee  River,  and  between  the  Neuters  and  the  Senecas, 

I  Relations,  1639. 


t   I 


II 


i)>' 


I    I 


>*• 


4  THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

and  they  were  protected  by  the  Neuters  from  the  powerful 
Iroquois;  but  for  some  reason  this  alliance  was  dissolved, 
and  for  their  own  safety  the  Eurohronons  migrated  to  the 
Huron  country.  East  of  the  Mohawks,  along  the  Hudson 
River,  were  various  tribes  of  the  Loup  Indians.  South  of 
the  Cayugas,  in  the  present  State  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
Andastes  dwelt.  The  populous  Kahquahs,  or  Neuters, 
had  their  principal  villages  west  of  the  Niagara  River  and 
Lake  Erie,  extending  one  hundred  miles  north  into  Canada. 
About  one  hundred  miles  northwest  of  the  Kahquah  terri- 
tory, near  Georgian  Bay,  were  located  the  Hurons,  the 
irreconcilable  enemies  of  the  Iroquois. 

All  these  nations  were  powerful  and  populous, 
numbering  from  twelve  thousand  to  thirty  thousand  souls 
in  each  nation.  They  were  all  warlike  in  disposition,  and 
were  continually  at  strife  with  some  neighboring  tribe  or 
nation.  Their  young  men  considered  their  sublimest 
virtue,  their  greatest  glory,  and  their  highest  title  to  fame 
to  consist  in  the  number  of  scalps,  or  trophies  of  enemies 
slain  by  their  own  hand;  and  although  they  had  but  rude 
stone  tomahawks,  warclubs,  and  stone  or  shell-pointed 
arrows,  yet  their  savage  natures  made  them  quite  formid- 
able foes.  Cruelty  to  an  enemy  was  with  them  a  virtue 
as  great  as  love  is  to  the  Christian ;  and  bravery  in  war 
and  success  in  the  hunt  brought  them  honor  from  their 
fellow-beings  during  life,  and  happiness  from  the  Great 
Spirit  after  death. 

The  country  of  the  Iroquois  was  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive and  delightful  in  America,  and  its  lakes  and  rivers 
furnished  fish,  while  its  forests  and  plains  supplied  game 
in  abundance  for  the  support  of  Indian  life. 

The  land  of  the  Mohawks  was  not  so  fertile  as  the 
land  of  the  more  western  nations,  yet  it  sufficed  for  their 


THE   IROaUOlS  COUNTRY. 


needs;  for  their  wants  were  few,  and  their  skill  in  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  made  amends  for  the  defective  soil.  The 
country  was  picturesque  and  pleasant,  and  with  its 
charming  variety  of  hill  and  river,  of  vast  forest  and  en- 
chanting vale,  made  a  fitting  abode  for  this  warrior  race. 

The  Oneidas  dwelt  in  a  region  of  lofty  forests,  diver- 
sified with  small  fertile  plains,  which  served  to  grow 
their  corn  and  the  vegetables  of  Indian  husbandry.  The 
lakes  and  rivers  furnished  fish,  and  the  forests  supplied 
game  to  support  their  easy  life. 

The  capital  of  the  league  was  situated  on  an  emi- 
nence in  a  fertile  valley,  which  grew  an  abundance  of 
corn,  which,  with  the  many  fishing  stations  along  the 
rivers  and  lakes,  furnished  food  for  the  Onondagas. 

Father  Raffeix  says:'  "The  country  of  the  Cayugas 
is  the  most  beautiful  I  have  seen  in  America.  It  is  a  con- 
tinuous plain  situtated  between  two  lakes,^  whose 
borders  are  covered  with  noble  trees  without  under- 
bush,  and  so  far  apart  that  they  aamit  of  easy  passage. 
The  lakes  supply  fish,  and  the  forests  and  plains  great 
quantity  of  game.  More  than  one  thousand  deer  are 
killed  here  every  year,  and  Lake  Tiehero,'  which  adjoins 
our  village,  is  covered  in  the  winter  and  spring  with 
geese,  swan  and  other  fowl.  About  ten  miles  from  our 
village  are  four  salt  water  fountains,  where  the  Indians 
spread  nets  and  capture  great  numbers  of  pigeons." 

The  country  of  the  Senecas  was  a  vast  open  plain  ex- 
tending from  the  borders  of  Lake  Ontario  to  the  hills  and 
forests  of  the  present  Schuyler  and  Steuben  Counties ;  and 
this  plain  was  very  fertile  and  was  covered  in  the  early 
summer  season  with  grass  nearly  as  tall  as  a  man,4  but 

I  Relations,  1673.  a  Lakes  Cayuga  and  Owasco.  3  Lake  Cayuga. 

4  Journal  of  Galince  and  Dolier. 


I 


H  'I 


6  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

Studded  along  the  borders  of  the  lakes  and  banks  of  the 
streams  with  fine  chestnut  and  walnut  groves.  West  of 
the  Genesee  River  to  the  Niagara  the  country  was  an  un- 
broken forest  of  beech,  maple,  oak,  elm,  basswood  and 
hemlock  on  the  high  lands;  of  ash  and  cedar  in  the  low 
lands;  and  pine  along  the  rivers  and  streams.  The 
wilderness  was  overrun  with  bear,  deer,  and  smaller 
game,  and  was  crossed  in  different  directions  by  Indian 
trails  which  passed  principally  through  swamps  and  low 
lands,  except  the  great  one  along  the  ridge,  near  Lake 
Ontario,  which  extended  from  the  Genesee,  near  Rochester, 
to  the  present  site  of  Lewiston.  The  other  great  trail 
between  the  Genesee  and  Niagara  Rivers  ran  from  the 
Genesee  near  Avon,  through  Leroy  and  Batavia,  where  it 
divided  into  two  branches,  one  running  to  Buffalo  Creek 
and  the  other  to  Tonawanda. 

The  early  missioners  thought  the  climate  was  mild 
and  salubrious,  with  about  the  same  changes  in  tempera- 
ture as  the  climate  of  Fr^  nee.  The  Seneca  country  at  this 
period,  the  most  western  of  the  Iroquois  cantons,  was  all 
east  of  the  Genesee  River. 

The  population  of  the  Five  Nations,  when  the 
missionaries  first  went  amongst  them,  was  between 
25,000  and  30,000.'  The  Iroquois  received  from  the 
French  the  name  by  which  they  have  been  known  to  the 
civilized  world.  In  listening  to  speeches  they  express 
satisfaction  or  approval  at  the  termination  by  the  syllable 
"lio,"  or  "Eoh,"  which  signified  Amen;  and  the  orator 
ended  his  speech  by  a  syllable  which  sounded  to  French 
ears  like  "quois"— "I  have  spoken;"  hence  the  word 
Iroquois.*  They  were  known,  however,  among  them- 
selves and  to  other  Indians  as  the  Konoshioni,  or  Otin- 

I  Relations,  1660.  a  Schoolcraft,  "  Iroquois." 


KAHQUAHS.  7 

nonsionni,  which  signified  a  complete  cabin,  a  name 
derived  from  the  league  which  existed  among  the  Five 
Nations.' 

The  French  named  these  different  nations:  Agniers, 
Oneiouts,  Onontagues,  Goiogoens,  and  Tsonnontouans; 
but  the  English  colonists  gave  them  the  names  by  which 
they  are  known  to  us:  the  Mohawks,  the  Oneidas,  the 
Onondagas,  the  Cayugas,  and  the  Senecas. 

The  Kahquahs  were  called  the  Neuter  Nation  from 
their  neutrality  in  the  Iroquois-Huron  war.  They  were 
also  called  Attiwand^rons,  which  signifies  a  people  speak- 
ing a  little  different  language.  In  the  map  of  Decreux  the 
country  east  of  Niagara  River,  between  Lake  Ontario  and 
Lake  Erie,  is  called  "  Pagus  Ondieronii,"  the  country  of  the 
Ondieronons,  and  as  the  spelling  is  very  bad  this  is  evi- 
dently intended  to  express  the  country  of  the  Kahquahs  or 
Neuter  Nation.  Bressani  says  that  this  map  is  correct,  but 
that  the  spelling  is  abominable. 

Their  territory  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
in  extent*  and  lay  between  the  Hurons  and  the  Iroquois  on 
both  sides  of  the  Niagara  River,  but  their  principal  villages 
were  west  of  the  Niagara.  Before  1650  they  had  four 
villages  east  of  Niagara,  one  at  West'  Seneca,  one  at 
Lewiston,  or  near  Ontario  Lake,  and  the  others  perhaps 
near  Buffalo;  but  in  that  year  those  villages,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  entire  nation,  were  destroyed  by  the  Iroquois 
and  their  inhabitants  slain  or  led  captives  to  the  Iroqi'.ois 
country. 

1  This  name  may  have  originated  from  the  custom,  existing  among  the  Iroquois,  of 
building  long  cabins  to  accommodate  four,  six,  eight  or  ten  families.  These  cabins,  or 
houses,  were  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  and  the  families  dwelt  on  each  side  of  the  house 
with  a  fire  in  the  center  to  accommodate  every  four  families. 

2  The  fishing  was  good;  and  there  was  a  great  abundance  of  game:  deer,  bear, 
buffalo,  wild  turkey,  wolves,  and  wild  cats.  3  Champlain's  map  of  1612. 


\t 


^ 


8 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


These  Indians  lived  in  cabins  or  huts  of  a  single  apart- 
ment, built  in  the  shape  of  a  camping  tent,  with  an 
aperture  in  the  top,  which  served  as  a  chimney ;  and  these 
cabins,  in  their  villages,  were  arranged  into  well-ordered 
and  comparatively  clean  streets. 

Their  food  consisted  of  rudely  ground  corn,  boiled  in 
water  without  salt,  but  sometimes  with  fish,  or  beans,  or 
squash ;  and  when  game  was  plenty  and  the  hunt  suc- 
cessful they  mixed  the  fresh  or  dried  meat  of  the  bear,  or 
deer,  in  the  kettle  with  the  cor...  A  highly  prized  dish 
was  the  flesh  of  a  dog,"  a  dish  not  very  palatable  to 
modern  tastes,  yet  considered  a  great  luxury  at  an  Indian 
banquet. 

The  women  attended  to  the  planting  and  the  reaping, 
and  all  the  drudgery  around  their  homes ;  while  the  young 
men  went  on  the  war  path,  on  hunting  or  fishing  expedi- 
tions, and  the  old  men  held  councils  or  gave  advice  for 
the  guidance  of  the  tribes. 

These  people  had  their  social  amusements  and  pas- 
times much  the  same  as  their  more  civilized  white  breth- 
ren. The  men  ^  engaged  in  games  of  chance  or  skill, 
and  often  became  very  much  excited  over  the  result, 
sometimes  entire  villages  or  representatives  of  different 
tribes  entering  the  lists  for  important  prizes.  One  game 
played  by  them  was  similar  to  the  modern  intellectual 
college  game  of  football,  though  the  ball  used  was  very 
much  smaller,  and  was  carried  by  hand  to  the  goal.  They 
played  the  game  of  cross  or  la  crosse  with  a  leather  covered 
ball  filled  with  deer's  hair,  and  they  also  indulged  in 
several  smaller  games  of  chance,  one  of  which  consisted 
in  tossing  into  the  air  six  small  cubes  made  of  deer  hoof, 
with  the  faces  painted  in  different  colors,  and  the  winner 

1  Journal  of  Galince  and  Dolier  a  Lafitau 


FESTIVALS.  ? 

was  the  one  who  had  chosen  the  color  which  was  upper- 
most on  the  greatest  number  of  cubes  as  they  reached  the 
ground.  They  had  banquets  and  festivities,  at  which 
they  sang  and  danced  to  the  sound  of  the  kettledrum,  ac- 
companied by  the  monotonous  "ho,  hi,  evohe,"  but  as 
their  voices  were  musical  the  sounds  were  not  displeasing. ' 
They  celebrate  six  regular  festivals  during  the  year, 
beginning  with  the  festival  of  the  New  Year  when  the 
February  new  moon  is  five  days  old,  and  ending  with 
the  harvest  festival  m  autumn.  Some  of  these  festivals 
are  celebrated  for  several  days,  and  are  observed  as  a 
semi-religious,  semi-social  duty,  in  which  all  the  people 
take  part;  and  they  are  solemnized  with  banquets, 
speeches,  dances,  and  song.  Invitations  to  the  banquets 
are  given  by  placing  grains  of  corn  on  pieces  of  wood 
upon  the  mat  in  the  cabins  of  those  to  be  invited,  and  at 
the  same  time  telling  them  to  come,  whilst  a  crier  pro- 
claims through  the  village  the  place  and  the  hour.  The 
guests  are  seated  on  mats  or  skins  around  the  cabin,  ac- 
cording to  their  rank  and  age.  These  Indians  are  called 
copper  colored ;  yet,  Lafitau^  says  they  are  born  white  as 
Europeans,  but  the  habit  of  going  about  almost  naked  and 
of  greasing  their  bodies,  together  with  the  action  of  the 
sun  and  air,  gives  them  this  peculiar  copper  hue.  They 
surpass'  white  men  in  physical  qualities,  being  tall,  well 
formed,  well  proportioned,  active  and  strong.  They  are 
endowed  with  good  animal  spirit,  and  are  gifted  with 

1  Lafitau,  "  Moeurs  des  Su.nvages." 

2  Lafitau  was  a  learned  Jesuit  who  spent  seven  years  among  the  Iroquois  at  Sault 
St.  Louis,  but  he  obtained  most  of  his  knowledge  of  the  customs  and  life  of  the  Indians 
from  Gamier,  who  spent  nearly  sixty  years  among  the  Indians.  Parkman  says  he  is 
the  best  authority  on  Indian  customs  and  life,  because  he  knew  the  Indians  when  their 
manners  and  life  were  purely  Indian,  and  before  they  had  been  changed  by  associating 
with  Europeans.  3  Lafitau, 


I 


10 


THE   IROQUOIS   AND   THE  JESUITS. 


1 11 


^ 


I- 


lively    imagination,     fair    intelligence     and     admirable 
memory. 

Parents,  after  consulting  the  wishes  and  preference 
of  the  young  people,  make  the  matches  for  their  children, 
and  the  marriages  are  prosperous  and  happy,  both  parties, 
generally,  remaining  faithful  to  the  end.  After  parents  of 
each  party  agree  to  the  union  the  young  man  sends  gifts 
of  beads  and  furs  to  the  girl  as  a  pledge  of  their  engage- 
ment; and  shortly  after,  with  his  family,  proceeds  to  the 
home  of  the  bride  elect,  and  seats  himself  on  the  mat  be- 
fore the  fire,  whilst  the  girl  prepares  a  dish  of  soup  or 
mush,  which  he  devours  in  silence,  with  the  girl  sitting 
beside  him.  If  there  is  a  wedding  feast,  it  is  held  at  the 
cabin  of  the  young  man,  but  the  girl  must  furnish  the 
banquet ;  and  she  also,  with  her  friends,  brings  food  and 
a  quantity  of  wood  to  the  young  nu*  's  home,  in  token 
of  her  willingness  to  perform  the  dc    istic  duties. 

Each  village  was  composed  of  members  of  at  least 
three  different  clans :  the  wolf,  the  bear,  and  the  turtle. 

The  Iroquois  were  divided  into  different  clans,  or 
families,  each  clan  having  some  animal  as  its  distinctive 
totem  or  symbol.  There  were  four  principal  clans :  the 
wolf,  the  bear,  the  turtle,  and  the  beaver;  though  there 
were  several  others  of  less  importance  named  after  other 
animals  or  birds,  as  the  deer,  the  eagle,  and  the  crane. 
The  four  principal  clans  were  found  in  every  village  of 
each  of  the  Five  Nations,  and  although  they  were  originally 
distinct  tribes,  yet  they  blended  so  admirably  with  each 
other  by  intermarriage  that  they  preserved  their  identity 
only  by  having  a  distinct  chief  and  warriors. 

At  the  period  of  the  advent  of  Europeans  the  Five 
Mations,  with  their  different  clans,  were  banded  together  in 

I  La  Moyne  says  they  surpass  in  intelligence  the  peasantry  pf  FunCQ. 


GOVERNMENT. 

the  closest  and  most  admirable  form  of  political  and 
civil  union.' 

Each  village  as  well  as  each  nation  had  its  chiefs  and 
its  ancients  to  decide  upon  local  matters,  but  when  any 
affair  which  affected  the  entire  league  was  to  be  considered 
each  village  and  nation  sent  its  chiefs,  its  ancients,  and 
orators,  to  the  central  council  house  at  Onondaga  to 
deliberate  upon  questions  of  state.  According  to  the 
testimony  of  many  different  intelligent  Europeans,  who 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  witnessing  their  proceedings, 
their  assemblages  would  have  done  honor  to  any  senate 
in  the  civilized  world. 

Their  orators  were  selected  for  their  ability  to  place 
the  subject  matter  clearly  and  strongly  before  the  council; 
and  as  they  were  endowed  with  good  voices,  and  had 
lively  and  poetic  imaginations,  they  often  displayed  a 
beauty  of  thought  in  their  language,  and  a  noble  eloquence 
in  their  speech  that  placed  them  on  a  level  with  their 
more  civilized  white  brethren,  who  strive  to  attain  these 
qualities  by  artificial  cultivation.  Golden  even  declares 
that  their  speeches  read  better  than  those  of  educated 
English  or  French. ^ 

Each  village  had  its  supreme  chief  whose  office  was 
hereditary,  but  succession  to  this  olTice  was  made  by 
selection  from  the  ablest  and  most  prominent  of  the 
former  chiefs  immediate  relatives;  and  generally  this  civil 
chief  was  the  leader  also  in  war,  unless  some  younger 
chief  was  better  qualified  for  this  important  task. 

I  Many  claim  that  the  Iroquois  proposed  their  confederation  to  the  colonies  as  a 
model  form  of  government  long  before  the  revolution.    Schoolcraft 

Perhaps  the  framers  of  our  Constitution  are  indebted  to  the  wisdom  which  inspired 
the  formation  of  the  Iroquois  League.  The  admission  of  new  states  with  equal  rights  is 
a  doctrine  of  the  Iroquois  Grand  Council. 

a  Golden  s  "History  of  Five  Nations." 


II 


12 


THE   IROQUOIS.  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


The  young  men,  and  the  women  also,  held  councils, 
and  each  had  representatives  at  the  Grand  Council.  All 
councils  are  subordinate  to  the  Ancients,  whose  olTice  is 
that  of  an  upper  house,  or  senate,  and  in  their  sessions 
they  display  all  the  dignity  and  wisdom  of  the  Roman 
Senate.  It  was  principally  through  their  political  sagacity 
that  the  Iroquois  obtained  supremacy  over  neighboring 
nations. 

There  was  very  little  trade  or  traffic  among  the 
Indians,  and  their  business  transactions  were  limited  to 
the  simplest  elements  of  exchange.  They  had  wampum 
belts,  which  passed  for  money,  and  were  the  pledges  of 
ambassadors  and  treaties  of  peace.  These  were  made  by 
Virginia  Indians  from  shells  gathered  along  the  sea  shore, 
and  formed  the  public  treasury  of  the  country. 


war 


i':;i 


m 


IROQUOIS  HOUSE 


CHAPTER  n. 

LOCATIONS  OP  THE  IROQUOIS  TOWMS. 

INDIAN  TOWNS  NOT  PERMANENT-MOHAWK  TOWNS-DESTROYED 
BY  THE  FRENCH-GREENHALGH's  DESCRIPTION-ONEIDA 
TOWNS-ONONDAGA  THE  CAPITAL-ST.  MARY'SOF  GENENTAA 
-CAYUGA  VILLAGES-MANY  CAYUGAS  REMOVE  TO  CANADA 
-SENECA  TOWNS  ACCORDING  TO  A  SENECA  CHIEF-JESUIT 
NAMES  OF  SENECA  VILLAGES-LOCATIONS. 

^HE  Iroquois  did  not  haul  their  fire- wood  to  the 
towns,  like  their  more  civilized  white  brethren, 
but  moved  their  towns  close  to  the  wood;  so 
there  was  no  permanency  to  their  homes.  The  names, 
too,  of  their  villages  changed  as  they  were  removed  to 
different  sites,  because  it  was  a  peculiarity  of  Indian  no- 
menclature to  name  places  after  topographical  features; 
and  they  sometimes  gave  their  towns  the  name  of  a 
prominent  chief.  The  Indians,  moreover,  had  no  written 
language ;  and  their  names  must  sound  in  various  forms 
to  ears  unaccustomed  to  their  speech,  as  a  word  in  any 
strange  tongue  is  difficult  to  pronounce  or  comprehend. 

The  Mohawks,  the  first  and  the  most  easternly  situ- 
ated of  the  Five  Nations,  at  the  time  of  Father  Jogues' 
visit,  ■  had  three  large  villages  located  in  the  beautiful  val- 
ley of  the  Mohawk,  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk 
River,  and  west  pf  the  Schoharie  River.  Ossernenon* 
was  situated  on  an  eminence  a  little  west  of  the  junction 
of  the  Schoharie  with  the  Mohawk,  near  the  present 
I  1642. 

a  This  is  the  place  where  Ren6  Goupil  was  slain,  and  the  people  of  the  same  town 
afterwards  put  the  saintly  Jog;ues  to  death. 


14 


THE   IROaUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Auriesville.  Andagaron  was  about  ten  miles  west  of 
Ossernenon.  Tionnontoguen,  the  capital,  was  about 
twelve  miles  west  of  Andagaron,  directly  east  of  Flat 
Creek,  near  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Sprakers. 
There  was  also  a  fourth  village  located  some  miles  west 
of  Tionnontoguen,  at  the  time  of  the  captivity  of  Father 
Jogues.' 

Small  pox  wrought  great  havoc  in  these  towns  about 
the  years  1 660-61,  and  the  inhabitants  moved  westward 
from  the  plague  spots. 

In  October,  1666,  De  Tracy  came  through  the  forests 
with  his  army  of  Indians  and  French  to  humble  the  fierce 
Mohawks,  and  to  destroy  their  towns.  The  Mohawks 
fled  at  the  approach  of  the  French;  the  torch  was  ap- 
plied to  their  towns,  and  the  ch  .rred  embers  and  burnt 
corn  alone  indicated  the  location  of  their  former  dwell- 
ings. They  rebuilt  their  towns  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river;  and  they  erected  a  strong  stockade  around  the 
easternmost  town,  as  a  protection  against  the  French  and 
their  old  enemies  from  the  region  of  Manhatta.  The 
towns  remained  in  their  new  positions  during  the  years 
of  the  missions,  and  although  time  has  eflFac-ed  nearly  all 
traces  of  the  eastern  door  of  the  Long  Cabin,  yet  General 
Clark  has  succeeded  in  pretty  certainly  locating  their 
sites. 

Wentworth  Greenhalgh,  who  made  a  journey 
through  the  Iroquois  country  in  May  and  June,  1677,  re- 
ports the  following  names  and  locations  of  the  Mohawk 

villages:     "Cahaniaga  is  double  stockadoed, and  is 

situate  upon  the  edge  of  an  hill,  about  a  bow  shott  from 
the  river  side.  Canagora  is  situated  upon  a  flatt,  a  stone's 
throw  from  ye  water  side.     Canajorha,  the  like  situacion, 

I  Martin,  "Life  of  Father  Jogues,"  p.  92, 


GREENHALGH  S   DESCRIPTION. 


15 


only  about  two  miles  distant  from  the  water.  Tionon- 
dogue  is  situated  on  an  hill,  a  bow  shott  from  ye  river.  The 
small  village  lyes  close  by  the  river  side,  on  the  north 
side,  as  do  all  the  former." 

The  Oneidas  were  originally  members  of  the  Onon- 
daga nation,  but  they  separated  from  the  parent  com- 
munity before  the  advent  of  Europeans.  They  first  dwelt 
on  the  southern  shore  of  the  lake  that  bears  their  name, 
near  the  mouth  of  Oneida  Creek.  They  moved  farther 
up  the  valley  before  the  period  of  the  missions,  and  lo- 
cated near  the  present  site  of  Oneida  Castle.  They  evi- 
dently moved  again  in  1676,  as  Greenhalgh  found  them 
in  a  newly  settled  town  the  next  year;  and  this  town 
was  later  stockaded,  and  was  called  Kunawaloa.' 

Greenhalgh  says:  "The  Oneidas  have  but  one 
town,  which  lyes  about  130  miles  westward  of  the 
Maques  (Mohawks).  It  is  situate  about  twenty  miles 
from  a  small  river  which  comes  out  of  the  hills  to  the 
southward,  and  runs  into  Lake  Teshirogue  (Oneida),  and 
about  thirty  miles  distant  from  the  Maques  River,  which 
lyes  to  the  northward.  The  town  is  newly  settled, 
double  stockadoed,  but  little  cleared  ground  so  that  they 
are  forced  to  send  to  the  Onondagoes  to  buy  corn ;  the 
towne  consists  of  about  one  hundred  houses.  Their 
corne  grows  round  about  the  towne." 

Onondaga  was  the  central  nation  of  the  Iroquois, 
and  the  capital  of  the  league;  and  here  was  the  great 
council  house  to  which  the  delegates  of  the  Five  Nations 
came  to  discuss  affairs  of  state.  The  capital  had  a  regu- 
lar order  of  streets,  which  were  comparatively  clean,  for 
an  Indian  town.  It  was  situated  on  an  elevation,  now 
called  Indian   Hill,  between  the  ravines  formed  by  the 

I  Schoolcraft.    This  was  probably  at  Stockbridge,  Madison  County. 


I 


?m 


ii 


III  I 

I 

] 


16 


THE  IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


west  and  middle  branches  of  Limestone  Creek,  in  the 
town  of  Pompey,  two  miles  south  of  Manlius. 

It  was  to  this  place  that  Fathers  Chanmonot  and 
Dablon  came  in  the  fall  of  1655,  as  the  first  missionaries 
to  the  Iroquois.  It  was  here,  also,  that  the  first  chapel 
was  built  in  the  State  of  New  York.  It  was  built  in  one 
day,  November  18,  1655;  and  was  immediately  sanctified 
by  the  baptism  of  three  Indian  children.' 

There  was  a  little  hamlet  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Onondaga  Lake,  at  Liverpool,  where  the  French  colony 
was  located,  and  where  the  beautiful  little  chapel  of  our 
Lady  of  Ganentaa  was  built,  near  the  salt  springs,  which 
were  afterwards  known  as  the  "Jesuits'  Well." 

There  were  three  villages  in  the  Cayuga  country 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Cayuga,  or  on 
the  banks  of  the  Seneca  River.  Cayuga  (St.  Joseph's), 
the  principal  village,  was  situated  about  three  and  one- 
half  miles  south  of  Union  Springs,  near  Great  Gully 
Brook.*  Tiehero  was  ten  miles  distant,  on  the  east  side 
of  Seneca  River,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  Seneca 
Lake.  A  smaller  village,  Onontare  (St.  Rene),  was  situ- 
ated at  a  place  known  as  Fort  Hill,  in  the  town  of  Savan- 
nah, Wayne  County. 

The  Cayugas  were  at  continual  war  with  the  power- 
ful Andastes,  from  the  region  of  the  Susquehanna;  and 
many  of  them  left  tfieir  pleasant  homes  near  Lake  Tiehero,' 
in  1665,  and  removed  to  the  northern  shores  of  Ontario 
Lake,  where  they  would  be  free  from  the  attacks  of  their 
enemies.  These  emigrants  were  probably  from  the 
smaller  villages  of  Tiehero  and  Onontare,  as  these  were 
weaker  and  more  liable  to  attack.     They  gradually  came 

Relations,  1656,  p.  30. 
a  Hawley,  "Cayuga."     It  was  here  the  first  chapel  was  built.  3  Lake  Cayuga, 


SENECA   TOWNS. 


17 


back  to  their  old  homes;  and  in  1676  they  had  built  new 
towns  near  Tiehero  Lake,  about  a  mile  eastward  of 
Cayuga.  Here  Greenhalgh  found  them  in  1677.  "The 
Cayugas,"  he  says,  "have  three  townes  about  a  mile 
distant  from  each  other;  they  are  not  stockadoed.  They 
intend  the  next  spring  to  build  all  their  houses  together 
and  stockade  them;  they  have  abundance  of  corne;  they 
lye  within  two  or  three  miles  of  the  Lake  Tiehero." 

The  Senecas  occupied  the  valley  of  the  Genesee,  and 
their  territory  extended  to  the  lands  of  the  Onondagas 
in  the  east,  and  to  the  Cayugas  in  the  south ;  whilst  the 
Genesee  River  at  this  time  formed  the  western  limit  of 
their  domain.  They  had  four  large  villages,  which 
formed  the  angles  of  a  square,  and  they  also  had  several 
hamlets,  which  were  located  in  different  places,  for 
convenience  in  hunting  and  fishing.  Their  villages  were 
situated  about  twenty  miles  from  Lake  Ontario,  which 
was  reached  by  trails  to  the  head  of  Irondoquoit  Bay ;  and 
great  trails  led  from  their  towns  to  the  neighboring  nations. 

Blacksmith,  an  old  Seneca  chief,  gave  the  names,  and 
described  the  location  of  the  villages  for  Mr.  Marshall'  as 
he  had  learned  them  from  the  traditions  of  his  race.  The 
villages  were:  Ga-o-sa-eh-ga-aah,  at  Boughton  Hill,  south 
of  Victor;  De-yu-di-haah-do,  about  ten  miles  south  of 
Rochester;  Chi-nos-hah-geh,  four  miles  southeast  of 
Victor;  Deodonset,  five  miles  southeast  of  Avon  Springs. 
The  names,  however,  which  the  missionaries  used  to 
designate  these  villages  were  probably  derived  from  the 
Mohawk  tongue,  and  were :  Gannagaro,  or  Gandagaro 
(St.  James');  Gandachioragou  (Immaculate  Conception); 
Gannougarae,  or  Gandougarae(St.  Michael's) ;  Gannounata 
(St.  John's). 

I  Marshall,  "First  Visit  of  USaUe." 


18 


THE   IROQUOIS   AND   THE  JESUITS. 


iii' 


i  il 


(■ijjt  II 


Gannagaro  was  a  very  large  village  of  about  i^o 
houses;  and  had  a  population  of  2,000  or  3,000,  as  each 
long  hoL"-e  was  the  home  of  from  two  to  six  families. 
It  was  situated  on  a  large  hill,  called  Boughton  Hill,' 
which  rises  immediately  south  of  the  little  station  at 
Victor  on  the  Auburn  branch  of  the  New  York  Central 
Railroad. 

About  one  mile  and  a  quarter  westerly,  on  an 
eminence,  called  by  the  early  settlers  "Fort  Hill,"  was  a 
fortified  enclosure,  which  could  be  used  as  a  place  of 
protection  for  women  and  children  in  case  of  an  attack 
on  Gannagaro. 

Gannagaro  was  called  St.  James'  by  the  Jesuits;  and 
it  was  Ga-o-sa-eh-ga-aah  in  the  Seneca  tongue.  The 
Rev.  James  Pierron  came  here  in  1672,  as  the  first  resi- 
dent missionary. 

Gannougarae,  or  Gandougarae,  was  about  four  miles 
southward  of  Gannagaro,  on  the  banks  of  a  stream  called 
Mud  Creek,  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  present  town  of 
East  Bloomfield.  It  was  callec  St.  Michael's  by  the  Jesuits, 
and  was  composed  almost  entirely  of  Huron,  Neuter, 
and  Onnontioga  captives.  A  large  number  of  these 
Hurons  were  Christians;'  and  it  was  here  that  Father 
Fremin  established  his  residence  in  the  fall  of  1669.  A 
chapel  was  soon  built,  and  Father  Fremin  said  his  first 
mass  here  November  3,  1669. 

In  the  language  of  the  Senecas  it  was  called  "Chi- 
nos-hah-geh, "  which  means  "on  the  slope  of  the  valley." 
The  town  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  spring  of  1671 ; 
but  was  soon  rebuilt,  probably  on  another  site,  two 
miles  nearer  the  village  of  Gannagaro. 

Another  large  town,  which  has  been  called  by  various 

I  It  was  most  probably  located  farther  southward,  at  the  time  of  the  missions, 
a  Many  beads  and  crosses  havf  been  found  in  the  vicinity. 


m''- 


SENECA  TOWNS. 


19 


names,  was  situated  about  ten  miles  west  of  Gannagaro, 
in  a  large  bend  of  the  Honeoye  Creek,  north  of  the  present 
village  of  West  Mendon.'  Although  there  seems  to  be 
some  confusion  of  names  among  authorities  on  th- 
subject,  yet  this  apparently  was  the  Gandachioragou  of 
the  Jesuits,  the  Tagarondies  of  Hennepin,  the  Totiakton 
of  Denonville,  and  the  Deyudihaakdah  of  the  Senecas. 
It  was  at  one  time  the  most  populous  of  the  Seneca  towns ; 
the  houses  were  very  large,  being  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in 
length,  with  room  for  ten  or  twelve  families  in  each  house. 

Many  vestiges  of  former  Indian  towns  have  been 
found  at  Lima,  and  also  on  the  main  road  between  Lima 
and  Honeoye  Falls.  These  places  were  known  to  the 
early  settlers  as  Indian  burial  grounds,  and  many  relics 
have  been  found  to  show  that  they  were  formerly  the 
sites  of  Seneca  towns.* 

Gandachioragou  was  very  probably  the  Seneca  capi- 
tal; and  it  was  situated  on  a  hill  at,  or  a  little  north  of, 
Lima.  It  was  here  that  Father  Gamier  located,  and  spent 
nearly  twenty  years  of  missionary  life.  The  town  was 
sometimes  called  Tagorondies,  because  this  was  the  name 
of  the  chief.  It  was  also  called  Totiakton ;  but  as  this  is 
the  Iroquois  word  for  trout,'  this  name  may  have  been 
given  to  the  town  when  it  was  moved  to  the  banks  ot 
Honeoye  Creek,  which  is  noted  still  as  the  place  of  the  trout. 

There  was  a  fourth  village,  called  Ganuaunata  by 
Denonville  and  Dyudoosot  by  the  Senecas,  which  was 

1  Marshall,  "Expedition  of  Denonville."    This  was  the  site  in  1688. 

2  The  Rev.  Dr.  Quigley,  of  St.  Joseph's  Cathedral,  Buffalo,  whose  boyhood  home 
was  at  Lima,  often  visited  these  places;  and  he  says  that  the  lower  part  of  Academy  Hill, 
at  Lima,  was  an  Indian  burial  ground,  and  there  was  another  a  mile  north  of  the  town  on 
the  road  to  Honeoye  Falls. 

3  Some  authorities  claim  this  word  means  "  bending,"  but  in  either  case  it  would  in> 
dicate  the  tame  place.    The  town  was  also  called  Sonnontouan. 


ii!||l!|i 


>'  ii 


•l"!i 


It'! ; 


ill! ' 


III  III 


20 


THE  IROQJUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


located'  a  few  miles  south  of  Gandachioragou,  but  the 
furrows  of  the  ploughman,  and  the  dwellings  of  the  pale- 
faces have  covered  up  the  vestiges  of  the  Sonnontouan 
towns.  There  was  no  chapel  at  this  village,  but  the 
Fathers  often  came  here  on  their  ministrations  of  mercy 
and  grace.         v     :  ,  ; 

When  La  Salle  and  Galinee  came  to  Gandagaro,  in 
1669,  the  town  was  enclosed  by  a  palisade,  but  when 
'"ireenhalgh  came,  in  1677,  not  one  of  the  Seneca  towns 
was  thus  fortified;  so  the  location  of  the  town  was 
changed  during  this  period.* 

After  the  country  was  devastated  by  Denonville,  the 
eastern  Seneca  towns  moved  eastward  toward  Canandai- 
gua  and  Geneva,  and  the  western  group  moved  south 
and  west  towards  the  Genesee.'  There  was  a  small  vil- 
lage of  Senecas  near  the  mouth  of  Niagara  River,  on  the 
Canadian  side,  although  they  probably  dwelt  on  the  New 
York  State  side  at  an  earlier  period. 

There  was  a  town  of  an  independent  tribe,  called 
the  "Oniasonts,"  ai  Bemus  Point,  on  Lake  Chautauqua; 
but  these  were  most  likely  an  offshoot  of  the  Eries. 

1  Doty  locates  it  on  the  Douglas  farm,  two  miles  north  of  Livonia  Station.    "Hi'tory 
of  Livingston  County." 

2  There  is  some  evidence  that  this  town  was  located  just  north  of  Victor  at  the  time 
of  La  Salle's  visit,  and  that  it  was  sometime  later  removed  to  Boughton  Hill. 

3.  General  Clark.  * 


kS 


M  ^  ¥ 


" 

■■hy 

1   l.^'-r  f  •■ 

•  ■ ' 

A~^M 


'^-t^\  W'\l 


Ml 


Among  THE    m®Qy®lS  r^oMiSSSiolSsd       J^Wi;^ 
AS  located  by  JOHN  SXl/.rk,Auburn_.NY.^^^^^       )   V^ /Xy/  A 


oJndion  Villager  ■      ^  y^odernCUie^&rdla^^- 


Jhdian 


CrunirY^CicW/tO^s  conquered  lytht 
/P0QUb/Sin/6'1S-/SS0.  (rref4  nrzTnUrS  \ 

Ini/ei  of  the  conquerors 


plamilton 


,M 


C^rt^utrecS 


■%*: 


\.y 


f-^vn 


CHAPTER  III. 

RBLiaiOVS   BBLIBP. 

RELIGIOUS  BELIEF  PRESERVED  BY  TRADITION-THEIR  IDEA  OF  GOD 
-CREATION  OF  THE  WORLD-ORIGIN  OF  EVIL-INFERIOR 
SPIRITS  OR  MANITOUS-DREAM  THEORY-FESTIVAL  OF  DREAMS 
-THE  SOUL-THE  INDIAN'S  HEAVEN-THE  SOUL  CAN  ACT  IN- 
DEPENDENTLY OF  THE  BODY-VENERATION  FOR  THE  DEAD- 
FESTIVAL  OF  THE  DEAD-VICES  OF  SAVAGES. 

THE  Indians  of  North  America  had  no  written  lan- 
guage, no  hieroglyphics,  no  symbols  to  perpetuate  the 
events  or  theories  of  the  past;  so  their  religious  be- 
lief, as  well  as  historical  lore,  were  traditional,  were  recited 
in  their  councils  by  their  old  men,  preservers  of  the  faith, 
for  the  instruction  and  edification  of  the  young:  and  al- 
though they  were  endowed  with  tenacious  and  admirable 
memories,  yet  it  is  evident  that  their  religious  faith  must 
necessarily  change  and  assume  a  different  phase  accord- 
ing to  the  characteristics  of  the  individuals  and  the  cir- 
cumstances of  life. 

The  first  foundation  of  their  religious  belief  is  the 
same  as  that  which  formed  the  principal  features  of  the 
religion  of  the  Barbarians  who  first  occupied  Greece,  and 
spread  through  Asia,  and  which  forms  the  ground  work 
of  all  Pagan  Mythology. ' 

They  had  only  a  general,  confused,  and  indistinct 
knowledge  of  the  Supreme  Being,  Creator,  and  Ruler  of 

I  Laiitau. 


\  :•% 


22 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND   THE  JESUITS. 


the  universe.  Thohoroniawagon  was  their  nearest  ap- 
proach to  God;  and  he  was  to  their  mind  one  who  em- 
braced the  heavens,  who  was  happy  in  himself,  and 
indifferent  to  the  affairs  of  this  world. 

The  Indian  God  had  nothing  to  do  with  morality  or 
justice  among  men,  and  they  believed  that  their  race  was 
under  the  direct  control  of  subordinate  spirits ;  and  these 
were  good  or  evil  as  they  brought  good  or  bad  luck, 
health  and  plenty,  or  disease,  famine,  and  death. '  Many 
of  the  tribes  confound  Thohoroniawagon  with  the  sun ; 
and  although  they  believe  that  he  once  dwelt  on  the 
earth,  yet  they  have  no  apotheosis  of  men,  nor  do  they 
worship  any  star  or  planet  but  the  sun,  which  they  call 
the  god  of  day. 

They  have  but  a  very  confused  notion  of  Creation, 
and  they  give  many  fantastic  and  ridiculous  explanations 
of  the  beginning  of  life  and  the  formation  of  the  world. 

The  Senecas  say  that  in  the  far  distant  past  waters 
covered  the  entire  earth ;  and  thousands  of  ducks  of  every 
plumage  swam  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  One 
morning,  when  the  sun  was  bright,  a  beautiful  woman 
appeared  in  the  sky;  as  she  was  falling  towards  the 
waters  the  ducks  held  a  council  and  resolved  to  spread 
out  their  wings  and  break  the  force  of  the  fall.  The  ducks 
also  called  a  turtle  from  the  deep  so  the  woman  might 
have  a  place  to  alight,  and  they  spread  over  the  back  of 
the  turtle  a  slime  from  which  a  green  spot  soon  appeared, 
which  grew  larger  and  larger  until  the  earth  was  formed. 
This  woman  had  two  sons:  one  the  author  of  everything 
good;  the  other,  author  of  everything  noxious  or  evil.' 

Like  most  of  the  Oriental  nations,  the  Iroquois  wor- 


I  Parkman. 


2  Sanborn. 


THE  IROQUOIS  BELIEF. 


28 


shipped  the  sun,  Agreskoue,  which  was  also  the  god  of 
war,  and  to  which  they  made  offerings  of  porcelain  beads, 
ears  of  corn,  and  animals  taken  in  the  hunt.  Although 
they  did  not  worship  fire,  yet  it  was  for  them  a  sacred 
emblem,  and  was  continually  burning  in  their  council 
houses  to  the  end,  how  warm  soever  the  weather  might 
be. 

They  believed  also  in  the  existence  of  multitudes  of 
inferior  spirits  which  they  called  manitous — a  kind  of 
subtle,  quasi-spiritual  species  of  genii — which  inhabited 
the  forests  and  streams,  the  rivers  and  lakes,  the  moun- 
tains and  caves,  the  meadows  and  the  moorlands,  and 
every  place  of  unusual  strangeness  or  beauty.  These 
manitous  presided  over  the  destinies  of  men;  and  the 
Indians  often  invoked  their  aid  for  success  in  fishing,  in 
hunting,  and  in  war,  often  making  a  direct  appeal  to  the 
presiding  genius  of  the  woods  or  the  waters  to  crown 
their  efforts.  They  believed  that  these  manitous  resided 
in  birds  and  in  animals ;  and  that  they  controlled  the  ele- 
ments, and  when  in  an  angry  mood  gave  fury  to  the 
storm,  or  when  in  a  happier  mood  gave  the  pleasant,  de- 
lightful weather. 

Every  Indian  had  a  particular  manitou,  which  each 
one  selected  by  fasting  for  eight  days,  and  at  the  end  of 
this  fast  whatever  first  came  to  mind  was  a  symbol  of 
his  manitou,  or  Okki.  The  manitous  manifested  their 
will  and  pleasure  in  dreams,  and  the  Indians  believed  that 
they  were  under  a  most  solemn  and  sacred  duty  to  do 
whatever  was  revealed  to  them  in  this  manner,  being 
ready  to  sacrifice  their  own  lives  or  the  lives  of  others  to 
fulfill  the  commands  of  their  manitou. 

They  celebrate  a  festival  of  dreams,  which  is  called 
"Onnon-hon-a-rori",  th?  folly  or  the  turning  of  the  brain. 


S''-.'  i.' 


24 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


During  the  festivities  they  dress  in  a  fantastic  manner; 
cover  their  faces  with  bark  masks,  and  go  about  at  night 
from  cabin  to  cabin  with  torches,  breaking  whatever  they 
can  lay  hands  on  and  compelling  people  to  give  them 
objects  they  may  fancy,  or  to  do  what  they  command  to 
fulfill  their  dreams.  They  act  like  veritable  demons,  and 
many  take  advantage  of  this  occasion  to  gratify  their  pas- 
sions of  hatred,  lust,  or  revenge. 

The  Iroquois  believe  in  the  existence  of  the  soul  as  a 
spiritual  entity,  but  they  cannot  exactly  define  its  nature. 
They  call  it  "Ganno-gonr-ha",  and  "Erienu";  but  these 
appelations  do  not  signify  being,  but  action,  as  the 
former  expresses  the  operations  of  spirit  and  mind,  and 
the  latter,  the  operations  of  heart  and  will.'  They  do  not 
understand  that  the  soul  is  purely  spiritual,  but  a  kind  of 
Egyptian  double,  or  shadow  of  one's  self.  They  believe 
that  the  soul  is  immortal,  and  that  after  death  it  will  be- 
gin its  long  and  weary  journey  to  the  happy  hunting 
ground,  or  eternal  home,  far  to  the  westward  over  rocky 
paths,  through  briars  and  thorns  until  it  comes  to  a  deep 
river  where  the  only  passageway,  a  falle"  tree,  is  dis- 
puted by  an  immense  dog  or  beast  that  threatens  to 
devour  the  soul,  or  cast  it  into  the  flood  where  it  is 
whirled  by  the  waters  over  precipices  and  rocks.  After 
passing  this  river,  the  souls  are  judged  and  sent  to  a  place 
of  torments  or  delights,  according  as  the  individual  was 
good  or  bad  in  this  life.  The  delights  of  their  heaven 
consist  in  good  hunting,  good  fishing,  in  singing  and 
dancing  at  eternal  feasts  in  the  presence  of  their  gods. 
The  virtues  which  merit  such  reward  are  bravery  in  war, 
skill  in  hunting,  and  excessive  cruelty  to  enemies  and 
captives.     The  Okd  and  feeble,  and  little  children  who  are 


THE   IROQUOIS   BELIEF. 


26 


unable  to  walk  to  the  happy  hunting  ground,  are  heard 
sighing  around  the  cabins  in  the  moaning  of  the  wind, 
in  the  soughing  of  the  forest,  and  the  rustling  of  the 
leaves. 

They  believe  also  that  the  soul  acts  independently  of 
the  body,  and  makes  long  journeys  at  will,  through  the 
air,  and  to  most  hidden  places;  and,  as  it  is  a  spirit, 
nothing  can  arrest  its  progress;  yet  it  does  not  cease  to 
animate  the  body,  but  makes  these  journeys  when  the 
body  is  asleep.  This  explains  why  they  are  s(  .niatuated 
with  dreams,  as  they  believe  their  dreams  are  actual  oc- 
currences, and  are  the  doings  of  the  soul  while  the  body 
sleeps. 

They  had  the  greatest  veneration  for  their  dead,  and 
when  a  member  of  a  family  died  all  the  relatives  and 
friends  assembled  to  mourn  over  the  departed,  whilst 
some  chief  made  a  funeral  oration,  in  which  he  related 
the  noble  deeds  of  the  dead,  and  all  silently  and  sadly 
followed  the  remains  to  the  grave,  or  to  its  resting  place 
in  the  trees  where  it  might  receive  sunshine  and  air. 
Every  ten  years  they  held  the  festival  of  the  dead,'  or  the 
festival  of  souls,  at  some  place  selected  by  the  council; 
and  here  at  the  appointed  time  assembled  all  the  different 
clans  and  tribes  and  nations  from  hundreds  of  miles, 
bearing  on  their  shoulders  the  remains  of  their  dead. 
These  Indians  presented  a  weird  sight  as  they  wended 
their  way  through  the  forest,  conveying  the  skeletons  of 
their  dead  on  their  backs,  and  singing  a  low  lamentation 
as  they  proceeded  to  the  place  of  celebration.  At  this 
place  banquets  were  given  to  noted  guests,  and  games 
were  played  by  the  young  people  until  the  day  appointed; 
and  then  all  the  dead  were  placed  in  a  large  pit  lined  with 

I  Lafitau. 


^6  THE   IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 

rich  furs,  and  covered  with  earth  so  that  a  mound  was 
formed. 

These  people,  however,  were  savages  with  all  the 
cruel  instincts  of  their  race;  for  cruelty  with  them  was  a 
virtue  a^  great  as  charity  is  among  Christians;  and  they 
were  cannibals,  often  devouring  the  flesh  of  their  still 
living  victims ;  nor  had  they  ideas  of  moral  relations  or 
religious  duty,  except  l  ^ch  as  interest  or  self-preservation 
dictated. 

Such  was  the  social,  political,  and  religious  life  of 
the  Iroquois  and  their  Indian  neighbors  when  the  Recol- 
lect and  Jesuit  Missionaries  came  to  them  with  the  light 
of  faith  and  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ADVENT    OF    EUROPEANS. 

INDIANS  KINDLY  DISPOSED  TOWARDS  WHITES-CARTIER  EXPLORES 
THE  ST.  LAWRENCE-FIRST  MEETING  OF  FRENCH  AND  IRO- 
QUOIS WAS  HOSTILE-CHAMPLAIN  FOUGHT  WITH  THE  MON- 
TAGNAIS  AGAINST  THE  MOHAWKS-IROQUOIS  FLED  AT 
SOUND  OF  GUNS-CHAMPLAIN'S  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  THE 
IROQIJOIS-FRENCH  MADE  FRIENDS  OF  THE  HURONS-MIS- 
SIONERS-THE  RECOLLECTS-THE  HURON  MISSION-JOURNEY 
TO  THE  HURON  COUNTRY. 

THE  first  vision  of  the  white  men  may  have  awaken- 
ed thoughts  of  wonder  and  astonishment  in  the 
minds  of  the  Indians,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  have 
aroused  any  feeling  of  hatred  or  resentment.  Turner' 
says:  "Savage  in  many  respects  yet  kindest  hospitality 
from  purest  motives  always  extended  to  foreign  guests ; 
and  perhaps  the  golden  chord  of  friendship  would  for- 
ever have  remained  unbroken  had  the  red  man  been  the 
first  to  begin  hostilities.  'Welcome  English,'*  are  words 
intimately  associated  with  early  American  History." 

When  Jacques  Cartier  was  exploring  the  gulf  and 
river  of  St.  Lawrence'  in  1535  he  learned  from  the  Indians, 
along  the  shore,  of  a  great  lake  (Ontario)  which  emptied 

1  History  of  the  Holy  Pilgrims. 

2  Indians  could  not  pronounce  English,  but  in  their  mouth  ii  became  "Yengeish." 
Hence,  Yankee. 

3  Which  he  named  in  honor  of  the  saint  whose  name  it  bears  because  discovered  on 
his  feast  day,  August  lo,  1535. 


ife: 


t! '■' 


28 


THE   IROaUOIS   AND   THE  JESUITS. 


into  the  St.  Lawrence;  and  of  another  river,  in  which 
there  was  a  great  cataract;  and  of  a  vast  sea  beyond  all 
these.  This  was  the  first  historical  notice  of  this  region; 
but  Cartier  did  not  ascend  this  river  any  further  than  the 
present  site  of  Montreal. 

Unfortunately  for  the  influence  and  the  labors  of  the 
future  missionaries,  the  first  coming  of  the  French  to  the 
Iroquois  territory  was  on  a  hostile  mission ;  and  as  the 
Indians  never  forgive  an  injury,  this  first  unfriendly  act 
had  a  baneful  eflect  upon  the  subsequent  relations  of  the 
Iroquois  and  French.  The  French  and  Dutch  entered 
New  York  State  about  the  same  time,  but  from  different 
directions;  and  while  the  Dutch  made  a  treaty  with  the 
Iroquois  which  lasted  till  the  English  took  possession  of 
their  country,  the  French  came  practically  declaring  war. 

The  cor^try  immediately  north  and  south  of  Lake 
Ontario  v  ^s  Neutral  territory  and  the  mutual  battle 
ground  of  different  Indian  nations.' 

In  1609  the  Montagnais  induced  Champlain  to  ex- 
plore north  of  Lake  Ontario  and  give  battle  to  their  old 
enemies,  the  Mohawks.  Champlain  left  Quebec  June 
1 8th,  with  fifty  Indians  and  two  soldiers,  and  July  30th 
he  attacked  two  hundred  Mohawks  near  the  present  site 
of  Ticonderaga,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  Lake  George. 
Champlain  fired  his  arquebus,  killing  two  chiefs;  the 
other  soldiers  also  fired,  and  as  this  was  the  first  exhibi- 
tion of  fire  arms  the  Iroquo'-:  had  witnessed  they  fled  in 
confusion.     This  was  the  first  greeting  from  the  French. 

When  Champlain  reached  Quebec  after  his  third 
voyage  to  France  he  found  Hurons,  Algonquins,  and 
Montagnais  waiting  for  him  to  go  on  a  grand  expedition 
of  war  into  the  heart  of  the  Iroquois  country.     Cham- 

I  "Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America." 


Ill 


EXPEDITION   OF   WAR. 


29 


plain,  with  his  Indian  allies,  started  in  canoes  up  the  River 
St.  Lawrence  in  September,  1615.  When  they  reached 
Lake  Ontario  they  crossed  over  to  the  south  shore  of  the 
lake,  concealed  their  canoes  in  the  weeds  and  underbrush 
along  the  beach,  and  started  overland  to  a  fortified  town' 
of  the  Iroquois.  On  October  10,  they  attacked  the  town, 
which  was  so  strongly  fortified  with  interlaced  pallisades, 
thirty  feet  high,  that  they  were  unable  to  capture  it,  and 
were  forced  to  retreat  with  considerable  loss. 

The  French  at  Quebec,  and  later  at  Montreal  and 
Three  Rivers,  formed  alliances  with  the  Montagnais,  the 
Algonquins,  and  the  Hurons;  and  established  among 
them  trading  posts  for  furs,  and  the  French  Fathers  estab- 
lished missions  for  their  enlightenment  and  conversion. 

Missionaries  accompanied  the  early  explorers  on  all 
their  important  expeditions,  as  anxious  and  zealous  for 
the  salvation  of  souls  as  these  lay  explorers  were  to  dis- 
cover a  northwest  passage'  to  the  wealth  of  the  Indies. 

The  Recollects,  or  Franciscans,  were  the  first  to 
enter  the  field;  but  they  were  soon  followed  by  the 
Jesuits,  whose  sacrifices  and  labors  on  these  Indian  mis- 
sions have  gained  the  admiration,  and  merited  the  enco- 
miums of  writers  professedly  inimical  to  their  Order.  The 
Huron  Missions  were  especially  prosperous  and  success- 
ful ;  and  although  far  removed  from  the  scene  of  our  story, 
yet  they  exercised  a  great  influence  upon  the  subsequent 
missions  among  the  Iroquois. 

Missionaries'  first  went  to  the   Huron   Country  in 

.  Marshall  maintains  that  this  town  was  on  Onondaga  Lake.  Clark  and  Shea  con- 
tend that  it  was  a  few  miles  south  of  the  east  end  of  Lake  Oneida. 

2  The  French  believed  that  such  a  passage  existed,  and  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
covering this  water  route  to  China  and  the  Indies  that  the  expeditions  of  La  Salle  and 
other  explorers  were  fitted  out,  and  with  the  further  hope  of  thus  acquiring  wealth  and 
fame. 

3  Father  LeCaron,  Recollect.  Recollects  invited  Jesuits  to  help  them,  and  Fathers 
Brebeuf,  Lallemont,  and  Masse  came  in  1625. 


I^Si 


ill-. 


30 


THE   IROQUO!S   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


1615,  and  labored  there  with  but  slight  intermissions 
until  1649  and  1650,  when  the  principal  Huron  vil- 
lages were  destroyed  by  the  Iroquois,  the  missionaries 
were  killed,  and  hundreds  of  the  Hurons  were  led  cap- 
tives to  the  Iroquois  cantons.' 

Many  of  th'^se  were  well  instructed  converts ;  and 
they  brought  to  the  land  of  the  Iroquois  the  Christian 
truths  they  had  learned  from  the  Fathers. 

The  journey  from  Quebec  to  the  Huron  Country  was 
very  long  and  tedious,  and  the  travelers  were  exposed  to 
many  dangers  and  hardships.  They  were  obliged  to  fol- 
low the  route  of  the  Ottawa  River  through  fear  of  the 
Iroquois,  who  lurked  in  every  dangerous  place  10  waylay 
their  enemies.  The  distance  from  Quebec  to  the  Huron 
Country  was  about  seven  hundred  miles,  and  many  miles 
of  the  way  they  were  obliged  to  carry  their  boats,  with 
baggage  and  supplies  for  the  mission^,  upon  their  shoul- 
ders, as  in  many  places  they  were  unable  to  follow  the 
water  course  in  their  canoes,  The  missionaries  could 
not  make  this  journey  more  than  once  a  year,  and  some- 
times two  or  three  years  might  pass  before  they  could 
descend  to  Quebec ;  so  they  planted  wheat  to  make  bread, 
and  pressed  the  juice  from  the  wild  grapes  of  the  country 
to  make  wine  for  the  altar.  These  missionaries,  how- 
ever, willingly  sacrificed  the  social  intercourse  and  pleas- 
ures of  civilized  life  for  the  love  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  men.  They  had  many  prosperous  and  populous  mis- 
sion churches  in  the  Huron  villages  before  the  fatal  on- 
slaught of  the  Iroquois,  who  burned  the  churches,  killed 
or  led  captive  hundreds  of  Christians,  and  practically  de- 
stroyed the  Huron  Nation.  Many  of  the  Hurons  who 
escaped  sought  refuge  under  the  protection  of  the  French 

I  About  700  captives  were  brought  to  the  Iroquois  country. 


THE  FRENCH  AND  THE  HURONS. 


31 


at  Quebec,   where  they   might  live  and   practice  their 
religion  in  peace. 

As  the  French  were  in  league  with  the  enemies  of 
the  Iroquois,  they  did  not  come  in  friendly  contact  with 
the  latter  for  nearly  fifty  years  after  Cham  plain  landed  at 
Quebec ;  yet  there  was  no  open  act  of  hostility  on  either 
side  till  1 64 1 


r 


!    ! 


!■  ,':»ii 


1' ; 


CHAPTER  V. 

FIRST   ATTEMPTS. 

CAPTURE  OF  FATHER  PAULAIN-FATHER  D'aILLON,  RECOLLECT, 
VISITS  THE  NEUTERS-VISITED  MANY  VILLAGES-BREBEUF  AND 
CHAUMONOT,  JESUITS,  VISIT  THE  NEUTERS-REACH  THE 
NIAGARA -HURON  CHRISTIANS  COME  AS  MISSIONERS-JOGUES, 
FIRST  MISSIONER  TO  THE  IROQUOIS-TAKEN  PRISONER-TOR- 
TURED-DEATH  OF  RENE  GOUPIL-CAPTIVITY-ESCAPE-FIRST 
MISSION  WORK.  ^ 

IN  1 62 1,  while  Father  Paulain  was  on  an  errand  of 
mercy, '  following  a  trading  party  up  the  river  to  the 

rapids  of  St  Louis,  he  was  captured  by  a  roving 
band  of  Iroquois  warriors,  who  shortly  after  exchanged 
him  for  some  of  their  own  people,  prisoners  near  Quebec ; 
but  two  of  the  Iroquois  prisoners  remained  with  the 
French,  and  were  instructed  in  Christianity.  This  was, 
perhaps,  the  first  knowledge  any  of  the  Iroquois  obtained 
of  the  Christian  religion. 

Some  Historians^  maintain  that  Father  de  la  Roche 
D'Aillon,  a  Recollect,  entered  Western  New  York  in  the 
fall  or  winter  of  1626,  on  a  visit  to  the  villages  of  the 
Neuter  Nation  situated  east  of  Niagara  River,  but  they 
offer  no  positive  proof  that  he  entered  this  region. 

It  is  true  that  he  visited  many  villages  of  the  Neuter 
Nation,  and  that  he  mentions  the  last  village  of  the  Neu- 
ters nearest  to  the  Iroquois;  but  in  the  letter?  in  which 

1  LeClerq.     "  Establishment  of  the  faith." 

2  Bp.  Timon.    Shea,  p.  225. 

J  This  letter  was  written  to  a  friend  but  Is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  order 
LeClerq.  Vol.  i,  p.  263. 


FATHER  D'aILLON  VISITED  MANY  VILLAGES. 


33 


he  gives  an  account  of  his  visit  he  does  not  mention  any 
Journey  to  the  Iroquois,  neither  does  he  state  that  he 
crossed  Niagara  River  or  passed  over  either  lake.  He 
also  wished  to  discover  the  river  leading  to  the  Iroquois 
country,  but  the  Hurons  and  Neuters  would  not  guide  or 
direct  him,  as  they  did  not  wish  the  Iroquois  to  trade 
with  the  French. 

H'Aillon  left  the  Huron  country  October  i8,  1626,  in 
company  with  Grenole  and  Lavallee,  Frenchmen  by 
birth,  and,  entering  the  territory  of  the  Petun  nation,  he 
obtained  a  guide  and  Indians  to  carry  his  baggage  and 
provisions.  After  five  days'  travel,  sleeping  at  night  under 
the  protection  of  some  tall  tree  of  the  forest,  they  entered 
the  first  village  of  the  Neuters  and  passed  on  through  four 
other  villages,  where  the  people  vied  with  one  another 
in  their  attentions  to  the  strange  visitors .  They  remained 
at  the  sixth  village,  where  a  council  was  held,  and  D'- 
Aillon  was  adopted  by  the  tribe,  and  was  given  in 
charge  of  Souharrisen,  chief  of  the  entire  nation. 

There  were  twenty-eight  villages  of  this  nation,  and 
seven  or  eight  hamlets,  located  for  convenience  in  hunt- 
ing or  fishing.  One  village  called  Onaroronon'  was  only 
one  day's  journey  from  the  Senecas.  The  country  was 
the  most  beautiful  he  had  seen,  and  was  overrun  with 
deer,  bear,  and  all  kinds  of  wild  game  The  people  were 
tall  and  well  formed,  and  had  no  cripples  or  deformed 
among  them.  The  village  in  which  D'Aillon  and  his 
companions  remained  was  called  Onnontisaston,*  and 
was  very  likely  the  capitol  of  the  nation.  He  remained 
with  the  Neuters  only  three  months,  as  the  French  then 
sent  for  him,  fearing  that  his  presence  might  provoke 

1  This  was  not  only  the  name  of  a  village  but  of  an  entire  tribe  or  nation.    See  p.  4 

2  This  was  in  center  of  nation. 


■'^M^:.- 


■•    ■  * 


34 


tHE  IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


II 


111 


some  hostile  act  on  the  part  of  those  Indians,  who  did 
not  understand  his  language  or  his  mission.  He  did  very 
little  missionary  work  among  them,  as  they  were  not 
disposed  to  accept  his  teaching  in  the  absence  of  the 
chiefs  who  were  then  on  the  war-path ;  so  he  spent  the 
greater  portion  of  his  time  in  learning  their  language  and 
in  visiting  their  villages. 

Another  attempt  at  evangelizing  the  Kahquahs,  or 
Neuters,'  was  made  in  1640  and  1641,  when  the  celebra- 
ted missionaries,  Fathers  Brebeuf  and  Chaumonot,  S.  J., 
visited  their  country,  and  remained  several  months  among 
them,  baptizing  some  of  the  sick  and  dying  and  instruct- 
ing them  in  the  truths  of  Christianity.  The  Relations  of 
1 64 1,  say  :  "We  began  this  year  a  mission  among  one 
of  the  most  powerful  and  important  nations  of  this  coun- 
try. We  had  long  since  desired  to  establish  this  mission, 
but  the  difference  of  language  and  fewness  of  mission- 
aries prevented  us  from  undertaking  this  work."  Fathers 
Brebeuf  and  Chaumonot  left  the  Huron  Mission  of  St. 
Mary's,  on  Georgian  Bay,  November  2,  1640,  and  on 
November  9th,  they  reached  Kandacho,  the  first  of  the 
Neuter  villages.  From  this  place  they  proceeded  to  the 
central  village,  or  capital  of  the  nation,  where  they  were 
kindly  welcomed  as  guests  and  were  given  permission  to 
teach ;  but  their  presents'  were  not  accepted,  as  the  chiefs 
were  absent  in  war.  These  Fathers  state  that  they  visit- 
ed eighteen'  of  the  forty  villages  of  this  nation,  doing 

I  The  missionaries  gave  tliese  people  the  name  Neuter,  on  account  of  their  neutral. 
hy  in  the  Huron-Iroquois  Wars.     2  The  exchange  of  presents  meant  a  treaty  or  alliance. 

3  They  call  the  Niagara  River  "Onguiahra,"  from  a  village  on  its  banks  of  same 
name.  Samson,  in  his  map  of  1656,  calls  it  Ongiara.  Father  Hennepin,  in  his  map  of 
I682,  was  the  first  to  write  it  Niagara.  It  is  not  probable  that  they  entered  the  present 
State  of  New  York  (though  nearly  all  historians  claim  they  did),  because  the  villages  of 
this  Nation  east  of  the  Niagara  River  were  the  farthest  away,  and  because  Brebeuf  was 
accused  of  intending  to  visit  the  Senecas  to  bring  them  to  destroy  the  Neuters,  and  the 
Fathers  did  not  wish  to  give  them  any  foundation  for  such  an  accusation. 


HURONS  TEACHING  THE  NEUTERS. 


35 


what  spiritual  work  they  could ;  but  their  presence  soon 
awakened  the  suspicion'  and  mistrust  of  these  people, and 
in  the  month  of  March  they  returned  to  the  Hurons. 

Two  years  afterwards  some  of  the  zealous  and  en- 
lightened Huron  converts  visited  the  Neuters  to  instruct 
and  convert  them.  They  were  well  received  and  atten- 
tively listened  to,  as  the  Indians  had  more  confidence  in 
them  than  they  wo  'd  have  in  Europeans,  and  their 
labors  were  not  in  vain  as  they  prepared  many  of  these 
people  for  admission  into  the  Church,  which  took  place 
some  years  later,  when  they  were  captives  among  the 
Iroquois.  These  zealous  Huron  Christians,  no  doubt, 
entered  Western  New  York,  as  they  went  as  far  west  as 
the  Erie,  or  Cat  Nation,  whose  territory  extended  along 
the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie;  yet,  no  permanent  mis- 
sion was  ever  established  among  the  Kahquahs  while 
they  existed  as  a  distinct  nation. 

In  the  fall  of  1641  about  200  Iroquois  warriors  des- 
cended the  St.  Lawrence  and  divided  into  two  parties.^ 
One  party  intended  to  commit  the  first  act  of  hostility 
against  the  French  at  Three  Rivers,  but  as  two  of  their 
chiefs  died  on  the  way,  they  considered  this  an  evil  omen 
and  returned  to  their  homes.  The  other  party  descended 
the  river  and  attacked  the  Algonquins  near  Quebec,  de- 
stroyed their  homes,  and  carried  off  many  of  their 
prisoners  to  the  Iroquois  country.  Some  of  the  female' 
captives  escaped  in  the  early  spring,  and  from  them  it  was 
learned  that  the  Iroquois  were  very  anxious  to  know  the 

I  Pagan  Hurons  had  told  the  Neuters  that  the  missionaries  were  sorcerers  and  would 
bring  disease  and  misfortune  to  their  Nation,  and  as  the  Jesuits'  lives  were  so  different 
from  the  Indians,  these  stories  were  readily  believed;  and  hence  their  breveries,  their  ink 
and  pen,  and,  more  especially,  their  writings  became  a  source  not  only  of  wonder  but  of 
alarm  to  the  Indian  mind.  The  Fathers  could  not  say  Mass  in  that  country  on  account 
of  this  mistrust.  2  Parkman. 

3  Their  children  were  roasted  and  eaten  by  these  cannibals. 


Kl' 


36 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Strength  of  the  French,  and  also  the  duty,  office,  and  life 
of  the  Black  Gowns,  or  Jesuit  missi'^naries.  The  Iro- 
quois could  easily  have  destoyed  th^  French  colonies  in 
Canada  had  they  known  their  weakness,  as  the  entire 
army  at  this  time  at  Quebec,  Montreal,  and  Three  Rivers, 
comprised  but  115  men.* 

The  first  priest  to  come  to  the  Iroquois  country  was 
Rev.  Isaac  Jogues,  and  he  did  not  come  as  an  accredited 
minister  of  Christ,  or  ambassador  of  the  French,  but  as  a 
prisoner  of  war.  On  the  second  day  of  August,  1642, 
twelve  canoes*  paddled  by  Christian  Hurons  and  carrying 
Father  Jogues,  and  two  other  Frenchmen,'  and  Teresa,  a 
young  Huron  girl  who  had  been  educated  by  the  Sisters 
at  Quebec,  were  moving  rapidly  over  the  waters  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  at  one  of  its  expansions  called  St.  Peter's 
Lake,  when  they  were  suddenly  fired  upon  from  the 
shore  by  a  roving  band  of  Iroquois  warriors.  The  sud- 
deness  of  the  attack  confused  the  Huron  party,  and  most 
of  them  were  taken  prisoners,  while  some  escaped 
through  the  thick  forests  that  lined  the  shore.  One  of 
the  Hurons  was  killed,  and  his  flesh  was  roasted  and 
eaten  by  the  Iroquois.  Father  Jogues  might  have  escaped 
but  he  thought  that  duty  called  him  to  remain  with  his 
Huron  neophytes,  some  of  whom  were  not  yet  baptized, 
as  he  expected  they  would  be  tortured  or  put  to  death; 
ind  he  wished  to  be  near  to  share  their  fate,  to  console 
them,  and  prepare  them  in  their  last  hour  for  a  Christian 
death. 

The  Iroquois  hurried  across  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the 
Richelieu,  or  Iroquois  River,  where  they  halted  to  divide 
the  spoils.     These  captives  were  hurried  off  towards  the 


I   Manuscript  in  the  Louvre  Library. 
)  Ren6  Goupil  and  William  Couture. 


1  Martin,  •'Life  of  Father  Jogues." 


RUNNING  THE  GAUNTLET. 


87 


Mohawk  villages,  and  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain^  they  met  a  war  party  of  Iroquois  encamped  on  an 
island,  and  the  poor  captives  were  obliged  to  run  the 
gauntlei  between  two  files  of  these  warriors  who  were 
armed  with  clubs,  sticks,  or  other  weapons,  and  aimed 
vigorous  and  well-directed  blows  at  the  unfortunate 
prisoners  as  they  ran  along  the  line. 

Father  Jogues  was  not  only  beaten  into  insensibility 
by  the  blows,  but  his  fingers  were  burned  with  live  coals, 
and  lacerated  by  the  teeth  of  these  savages;  yet,  this  holy 
man  seemed  to  grieve  more  over  the  tortures  of  his  com- 
panions than  he  did  over  his  own  sufTerings.  After  leav- 
ing the  island  other  war  parties  were  met,  and  on  each 
occasion  similar  tortures  were  inflicted  on  these  unfortun- 
ate victims,  as  the  Iroquois  considered  cruelty  to  cap- 
tives a  happy  omen  of  success  in  war. 

The  prisoners  were  brought  to  the  Mohawk  villages 
where  the  most  cruel  tortures  that  these  savages  could 
devise  were  inflicted  on  them  until  they  were  so  ex- 
hausted, and  in  such  agony,  that  even  death  would  be  a 
relief;  yet,  they  were  consoled  by  the  example  and  the 
presence  of  the  holy  Jesuit,  who  was  ready  at  a  given 
signal  to  impart  absolution  and  his  last  blessing  to  the 
dying  Christian  Hurons  or  French.  Rene  Goupil.*  Father 
Jogues'  companion,  and  a  very  holy  young  man,  was 
killed  shortly  after  their  arrival,  near  one  of  the  Mohawk 
villages,  a  martyr  to  his  faith  and  zeal;  as  it  was  on  ac- 
count of  his  teaching  the  children  the  rudiments  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  instructing  them  to  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross'  that  he  was  put  to  death. 

I  Champlain  gave  his  name  to  the  lake  when  became  with  the  Montagnals  to  give 
battle  to  the  Mohawks  2  He  had  studied  medicine  but  desired  to  become  ajesuit. 

i  The  Dutch  had  told  the  Mohawks  that  the  sign  of  the  cross  was  evil,  and  brought 
misfortune     Martm,  "Life  of  Jogues. ' 


Mr 


38  THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

Rene  Goupil's  death  was  a  severe  loss  to  Father 
Jogues,  who  found  one  of  the  greatest  comforts  of  his 
captivity  in  the  hours  of  conversation  and  prayer  in  com- 
pany with  this  young  man,  roaming  through  the  vast 
forests,  or  kneeling  at  the  base  of  some  lofty  tree,  on 
which  they  had  carved  a  rude  symbol  of  the  cross  to  re- 
mind them  of  the  greater  sufferings  of  their  Lord  and 
Master;  but  now  the  holy  missioner's  only  conversation 
was  with  God  in  prayer,  when  he  could  steal  away  for  a 
few  hours  from  the  drudgery  of  his  slave  life  in  the  vil- 
lage.    As  the  Mohawks  began  to  treat  him  more  kindly 
he  gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  acquisition  of  their  lan- 
guage; as  he  hoped  some  day  to  be  able  to  teach  these 
people  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and  to  lead  them  to  God. 
He  was  obliged  to  accompany  hunting  and  fishing  par- 
ties, to  prepare  wood  for  their  fires,  and  to  carry  loads  of 
their  fish  and  game;  but  he  performed  this  labor  the 
more  willingly  as  it  gave  him  greater  liberty  to  spend 
many  hours  in  prayer  in  some  secluded  spot,  where  he 
erected  a  diminutive  bark  or  brush  chapel,  which  con- 
cealed his  presence  from  these  savages,  and  left  him  free 
to  commune  with  God.     Whilst  on  one  of  these  fishing 
expeditions,  on  the  Hudson,  near  Rensselaerswyck,'  he 
was  advised  by  the  Dutch  to  make  his  escape  in  a  vessel 
which  was  soon  to  sail  for  Europe;  and  he  was  the  more 
readily  induced  to  take  this  step  as  he  learned  the  Mo- 
hawks intended  to  put  him  to  death  when  he  returned  to 
their  village.     His  first  attempt,  hov/ever,  at  escape  was 
frustrated  by  the  Indians ;  but,  after  many  weeks  of  hid- 
ing, and  of  negotiations  between  the  Dutch  and  the  Mo- 
hawks, he  finally  reached  Manhattan,'  whence  he  sailed 
for  Europe. 

I   Albany.  -  New  York. 


GOING  ABOUT  DOING  GOOD.  39 

Father  Jogues  visited  different  villages  and  baptized 
about  seventy  during  the  period  of  his  captivity,  so  his 
fate  was  not  so  dismal,  but  had  its  rays  of  hope  and  joy 
and  although  his  hands  were  fearfully  mutilated  yet  he 
rejoiced  that  he  was  able  to  use  them  in  the  work  of  his 
Divine  Master.     He  was  the  first  priest  to  administer  the 
sacraments  of  the  Church  within  the  bounds  of  the  pres- 
ent State  of  New  York,  as  there  were  no  Catholics  then 
in  the  State,  except  two  that  he  found  at  Manhattan  when 
he  arrived  there  in  September,  1643,  having  escaped  from 
the  Mohawks  through  the  assistance  of  the  Dutch  at 
Albany. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


WAR. 


lU 


MONTMAGNY  BUILDS  FORT  RiCHELIEU-IROaUOIS,  THE  SCOURGE  OF 
CATHOLIC  MISSIONS  AND  FRENCH  COLONY-WEALTHY  CATH- 
OLICS OF  FRANCE  COME  TO  RESCUE-CAPTURE  OF  BRESSANI- 
TORTURES-PEACE  COUNCILS-JOGUES,  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR 
TO  THE  MOHAWKS-CONSOLES  CHRISTIAN  CAPTIVES-THE 
MYSTERIOUS  BOX. 

SO  bold  and  insidious  had  the  Iroquois  become,  and  so 
frequently  did  they  attack  stray  parties  of  Hurons 
and  French,  that  the  latter  did  not  dare  go  on  a 
fishing  or  hunting  expedition,  or  even  till  the  soil, 
through  fear  of  the  roving  bands  of  these  warriors,  who 
would  often  lie  in  ambush  for  days  at  a  time  in  some 
deep  ravine,  dense  forest,  or  tall  grass,  to  surprise  and 
slay  their  unsuspecting  enemies.  Gov.  Montmagny  re- 
solved to  remove  some  of  this  danger  from  the  colonists, 
and  put  a  check  upon  the  depredations  of  these  savages. 
He,  therefore,  sent  one  hundred  men,  with  Father  Vi- 
mont  as  chaplain,  to  build  a  fort  on  the  Richelieu  river, 
on  the  route  between  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Mohawk 
country.  They  selected  a  site  on  August  13,  1642,  only 
ten  days  after  the  capture  of  Father  Jogues  and  his  com- 
panions, near  a  spot  which  still  bore  sad  evidence  of  the 
capture  and  of  the  cruelty  of  the  Mohawks :  for  the  heads 
of  some  of  the  Hurons  were  still  dangling  from  poles 
driven  in  the  ground;  and  rude  pictures  were  found 


WHAI-THY  CATHOLICS  OF  FRANCE. 


41 


traced  upon  the  bark  of  trees,  delineating  the  victory  of 
the  Iroquois.  Before  beginning  the  fort  all  assisted  at 
mass,  which  was  said  by  Father  Vimont. 

The  Iroquois  were  the  scourge'  of  the  infant  church 
in  the  western  world,  as  through  their  desultory  warfare 
they  practically  cut  off  all  communication  between  Que- 
bec and  the  Huron  missions.  They  were  the  scourge 
also  of  the  French  colony,  destroying  the  trade  in  furs 
upon  which  the  colonists  expected  to  thrive;  and  agricul- 
ture was  impossible  in  the  presence  of  such  savage  and 
relentless  foes.  The  colony^  must  fail,  if  its  existence  de- 
pended upon  commercial  or  business  success,  but  religion 
came  to  its  aid,  and  what  trade  could  not  effect  faith  ac- 
complished. The  interest  and  zeal  of  the  wealthy  nobles 
and  ladies  of  France  were  awakened  in  behalf  of  the  mis- 
sions of  the  New  World,  and  as  early  as  1635  the  liber- 
ality of  these  pious  persons  <  labled  the  Jesuits  to  estab- 
lish at  Quebec  an  hospital  for  the  sick,  a  seminary  for  In- 
dian boys,  and  a  convent  for  Indian  girls,  while  the  place 
was  still  a  mere  hamlet.'  The  "Society  of  Montreal"  was 
composed  of  about  forty  zealous  Catholics,  and  they  were 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  propagating  the  faith  and 
founding  a  Catholic  colony  in  New  France.  These  insti- 
tutions contributed  greatly  towards  the  conversion  of  the 
savages;  for  the  charity  displayed  at  the  hospital  was  not 
soon  forgotten,  and  the  example  and  instruction  given  in 
the  convents  made  a  favorable  and  lasting  impression  up- 
on the  minds  of  the  young  Indians. 

In  April,  1644,  as  Father  Bressani  and  some  young 
Hurons,  who  had  been  at  the  seminary  of  Quebec,  were 
on  their  way  up  the  river  to  the  Huron  country,  they 
were  surprised  by  a  band  of  Iroquois  near  the  same  place 

I  Relations,  1642.  2  Faillon,  "Colonies  Francaise. '  )  Parkman,  p.  178 


'  '■•l- 


42 


THE   IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


ir 


nil 


where  Father  Jogues  was  captured  two  years  before ;'  and 
they  were  hurried  off  to  be  tortured  in  the  Iroquois 
country.  At  Saratoga  Lake  they  met  a  large  fishing 
party,  and  the  prisoners  were  compelled  to  run  the  gaunt- 
let between  rows  of  these  savages  who  beat  them  with 
clubs  or  stones,  or  hacked  them  with  their  rude  knives. 
They  were  then  placed  on  a  platform,  stripped  of  their 
clothing,  and  forced  to  sing  and  dance  for  the  delectation 
of  this  savage  throng;  and  whilst  the  blood  flowed  from 
their  lacerated  limbs  the  Iroquois  applied  new  instru- 
ments of  torture  to  make  the  dance  of  their  captives  more 
like  their  own  wild  orgies.  The  prisoners  were  taken 
through  the  different  Mohawk  villages,  where  they  were 
subjected  to  many  other  indignities;  but  the  life  of  Father 
Bressani  was  spared,  and  he  was  given  to  a  family  who 
sold  him  to  the  Dutch  at  Albany. 

In  the  spring  of  1645  the  French  released  some  of  the 
!roquois  who  had  been  prisoners  at  Quebec;  and  July  5, 
16415,  some  of  these  former  captives,  with  the  celebrated 
chief  Kiotsaeton  as  their  leader,  and  bringing  with  them 
William  Couture,  who  was  captured  with  Father  Jogues 
in  1642,  arrived  at  Three  Rivers  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace 
with  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies.  The  Governor 
came  up  from  Quebec,  and  delegates  were  also  sent  to 
the  proposed  council  by  the  Algonquins,  the  Montagnais, 
the  Allikemegues,  and  the  Hurons.  These  representa- 
tives of  different  nations  and  races  assembled  for  the  first 
time  in  their  history  to  cement  the  bonds  of  friendship, 
and  a  most  inspiring  scene  they  presented.  Sails  were 
taken  from  the  vessels  in  the  river  to  make  a  tent ;  and 
poles  were  erected  by  the  Iroquois,  on  which  were  hung 
the  seventeen  belts  of  wampum,  representing  the  articles 

I  On  the  St.  Lawrence  near  St  Peter  s  Lake. 


PEACE  COUNCILS. 


43 


of  their  treats  and  the  wishes  of  their  people.  Father 
Lallemant,  the  Superior  of  the  missions,  was  to  represent 
Ihe  Church,  but  as  he  did  not  return  from  the  Huron 
country,  Father  Vimont  took  his  place. 

The  Governor  and  his  suite,  and  the  Jesuit  Father,  the 
representatives  of  European  civilization,  and  the  Church, 
took  their  places  at  one  end  of  the  awning-covered  space, 
and  the  Indian  allies  of  the  French  seated  themselves  in  a 
circle ;  whilst  the  tall  and  graceful  Iroquois  chief  most  elo- 
quently told  the  purport  of  his  mission,  and  with  song  and 
dance  manifested  the  joy  of  his  people,  and,  with  most  ap- 
propriate gestures,  portrayed  their  future  friendly  relations, 
or  erased  from  their  memory  past  hostile  deeds,  and 
sealed  his  sincerity  with  belts  of  wampum.  The  Gov- 
ernor afterwards  spoke  for  the  French  and  their  Indian 
allies,  and  gave  presents  to  the  Iroquois  as  a  sign  of  good 
will. 

This  council  was  only  a  preliminary  step  towards 
peace,  as  these  proceedings  should  be  sanctioned  by 
larger  representations  from  the  different  nations.  They 
assembled,  there  )re,  at  Three  Rivers,  in  September,  to 
the  number  of  400,  and  watched  ti.e  arrival  of  the  Iro- 
quois delegates,  who  were  received  with  military  honor ; 
whilst  their  old  enemies,  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins, 
looked  on  with  feelings  of  hatred  and  distrust,  yet,  with 
admiratic  1  for  their  lithe  and  graceful  forms  and  warlike 
bearing.  The  usual  pledges  were  given  at  this  council, 
and  the  n*  ssionaries  rejoiced,  perhaps  more  than  any 
others,  at  the  prospect  of  peace,  as  it  meant  for  them 
greater  security  on  their  Huron  missions,  and  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  and  vast  field  for  their  zeal  in  spreading  the 
Gospel.  Father  Lallemant  says  that  it  seemed  to  them 
more  like  a  dream  than  reality ;  that  after  so  many  years 


44 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


of  warfare  they  should  not  only  have  peace  but  a  pros- 
pect of  establishing  a  mission  among  these  old  enemies, 
which  they  intended  to  call  the  Mission  of  the  Martyrs, 
on  account  of  the  many  Christians  already  put  to  death  by 
them,  and  because  many  more  martyrs  would  probably 
be  sent  to  heaven  before  this  savage  race  could  be  con- 
verted to  God. 

The  Governor  resolved  to  send  two  representatives  to 
the  Mohawks^  to  manifest  his  good  will  towards  his  new 
friends;  and  as  Father  Jogues  was  present,  and  knew  the 
Mohawk  tongue,  he  very  readily  consented  to  go  on  this 
embassy,  as  he  hoped  to  establish  a  mission  there  for  the 
conversion  of  his  former  persecutors. 

Father  Jogues,  with  four  Mohawks  and  two  Algon- 
quins,  left  Three  Rivers,  May  i6,  16^6,  as  an  ambassador 
to  the  people  who  formerly  held  him  as  a  slave.  At  Sara- 
toga Lake  they  met  a  fishing  party  of  Mohawks,  and 
with  them  was  Theresa,  the  Huron,  who  had  been  edu- 
cated in  the  convent  at  Quebec,  and  who  was  captured 
by  the  Mohawks  in  1642,  while  returning  to  her  home 
with  Father  Jogues  and  his  party.  The  holy  missionary 
heard  her  confession  and  gave  her  his  blessing;  and  the 
poor  captive  was  overjoyed  with  this  favor,  as  it  was  the 
only  religious  consolation  she  had  received  in  this  Pagan 
land. 

Father  Jogues  went  first  to  the  Dutch  settlement  at 
Albany,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  first  Mohawk  village, 
Ossernonon,  where  a  council  was  held  and  presents 
exchanged.  The  Father  assembled  the  Christian  cap- 
tives, heard  their  confessions,  and  encouraged  them  to 

I  The  route  to  the  Mohawk  country  was  al^ng  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  the  Riche- 
lieu River,  Lal<e  Champlain  and  Lake  George.  On  his  second  visit  Father  Jogues  named 
Lake  George,  ''  Lake  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,"  as  he  discovered  it  on  the  Feast  of  Cor- 
pus Christi;  and  this  name  it  retained  for  a  century. 


EVIL  SUSPICION. 


45 


fidelity  to  their  faith.  At  this  village  he  left  a  small  box 
containing  a  few  articles  necessary  for  his  proposed  mis- 
sion; and  this  box  was  the  cause  of  much  evil  suspicion 
and  distrust  among  these  savages,  who  believed  that  it 
contained  an  evil  spirit  that  would  blight  their  corn  and 
spread  disease  among  the  people. 


IL 


I.!!'! 


I#     :     ■■■, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  FIRST  MISSIONBR  TO  THB  IROQUOIS. 

FATHER  JOGUES  GOES  AS  MISSIONER  TO  THE  M0HAWKS-PR>:DICTS 
HIS  DEATH-THE  CORN  CROP  FAlLS-THE  MYSTERIOUS  SOX- 
WAR  PARTY  CAPTURES  JOGUES-CLANS  DO  NOT  AGREE  ON 
HIS  FATE-TREACHEROUSLY  SLAIN-THE  MURDERER  TAKES 
JOGUES'  NAME  IN  BAPTISM. 

FATHER  Jogues  was  kindly  treated  on  his  mission  to 
the  Mohawks,  and  he  believed  that  God  had 
wrought  a  wonderful  change  in  the  hearts  of  these 
people.  After  having  baptized  some  he  returned  to 
Three  Rivers,  where  he  remained  until  September  24, 
when  he  again,  and  for  the  last  time,  turned  his  steps  to- 
wards the  country  of  the  Mohawks.  In  a  letter  to  a 
friend  in  France  he  stated  that  his  heart  told  him  if  he  had 
the  happiness  of  being  selected  for  this  mission  he  would 
never  return ;  but  he  was  pleased  to  think  that  the  Lord 
would  accept  the  sacrifice  of  his  life  where  it  had  been 
nearly  completed,  in  the  days  of  his  captivity. 

He  left  Thiee  Rivers  in  company  with  a  young 
Frenchman,  John  DeLaLande,  and  some  Hurons,  but  all 
except  one  of  the  latter  soon  abandoned  the  missionary 
and  returned  to  their  homes.  Nothing  was  heard  at 
Three  Rivers  of  Father  Jogues  or  his  mission  until  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  when  some  Algonquin  and  Huron  wo- 
men, who  had  escaped  from  captivity  among  the  Iroquois, 
circulated  vague  rumors  of  the  death  of  the  missionary 
and  his  companion.     These  rumors  were  verified  by 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BOX. 


47 


.  ■;'! 


letters  from  the  Governor  of  New  Netherlands,  which 
reached  Montreal  in  June,  1647,  giving  many  of  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  death  of  this  holy  martyr. 

The  corn  crop  was  a  partial  failure  in  the  Mohawk 
country  in  the  fall  of  1646,  and  disease  had  ravaged  the 
villages ;  and  in  the  minds  of  those  savages  all  those  mis- 
fortunes arose  from  the  presence  of  the  mysterious  box 
which  Father  Jogues  had  left  in  their  land.'  The  box, 
therefore,  was  taken  and  cast  into  the  river,  as  they 
hoped  in  this  way  to  drown  the  evil  spirit  it  contained. 
Of  a  treacherous  nature  themselves,  they  were  easily  in- 
duced to  believe  that  the  French  were  not  sincere  in  their 
protestations  of  peace,  and  some  of  their  young  men 
were  already  on  the  war  path  when  Father  Jogues  was 
on  his  way  up  the  St.  Lawrence  to  his  new  mission. 

A  party  of  Mohawks  set  out  to  attack  the  French  at 
Fort  Richelieu,  but  meeting  Father  Jogues  and  his  com- 
panion within  two  days'  journey  of  this  place,  they  im- 
mediately seized  them,  stripped  them  of  their  clothing 
and  valuables,  and  hurried  them  off  to  Ossernoi!  in,^  the 
first  Mohawk  village,  where  the  missioner  had  already 
spent  thirteen  months  in  captivity. 

In  vain  did  Father  Jogues  plead  that  he  and  his  com- 
panion came  on  a  mission  of  mercy  and  love,  as  these 
savages  only  replied  by  blows;  and  whilst  the  chiefs  were 
in  council  discussing  their  doom,  some  members  of  the 
Bear  clan  secretly  resolved  to  put  them  to  death. 

On  the  evening  of  October  18,  1646,  Father  Jogues 
was  called  to  sup  in  the  cabin  of  one  of  the  conspirators, 
and  as  he  entered  the  door  he  was  struck  dead  with  a 
blow  of  a  hatchet.     His  head  was  cut  off  and  placed  on  a 

I  Martin,  "Life  of  Jogues.  ' 

a  At  Auriesville,  N.  Y.,  where  a  shrine  has  been  erected,  and  is  visited  every  year  bjr 
thousands  ot  pilgrims. 


48 


THE  IROCIUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


pole  outside  the  town  with  the  face  towards  Three 
Rivers,  whence  he  came;  and  thus  passed  away,  says 
Parkman,  "One  of  the  purest  examples  of  Roman  Catholc 
virtue  which  the  Western  Continent  has  seen."  Tne 
next  evening  Father  Jogues'  companion  was  slain,  and 
both  bodies  were  thrown  into  the  river;  and  thus  ended 
the  first  mission  among  the  Iroquois,  a  mission  appropri- 
ately callled,  "The  Mission  of  the  Martyrs." 

The  Mohawk  who  killed  Father  Jogues  was  after- 
wards taken  prisoner  by  the  French,  and  was  taken  to 
Quebec  where  he  was  instructed  and  baptized,  and  the 
name  of  the  holy  martyr,  Isaac  Jogues,  was  given  to  him 
in  baptism.  He  was  given  to  some  Algonquins,  who 
put  him  to  death,  but  he  died  not  like  a  savage,  but  like 
his  saintly  namesake,  with  the  holy  name  of  Jesus  on  his 
lips.' 

He  was  captured  by  a  young  Frenchman  near  Three 
Rivers,  September  i6,  1647,  ^^^  ^^s  given  by  the  Gov- 
ernor to  the  Algonquins  of  the  mission  of  Sillery.  Many 
of  the  friends  of  these  Algonquins  had  been  killed  or 
made  captives  by  Iroquois  war  parties,  and  as  the  Gov- 
ernor wished  to  make  an  example  to  terrify  others,  he 
handed  the  prisoner  over  to  them,  to  be  punished  accord- 
ing to  their  custom.  In  the  interval  between  his  capture 
and  death  he  related  the  circumstances  attending  the 
death  of  Father  Jogues,  and  finally  acknowledged  that  he 
was  the  murderer  of  the  holy  martyr. 

Hostilities  were  renewed  after  the  death  of  Father 
Jogues,  and  the  roving  bands  of  Iroquois  warriors  became 
the  terror  of  every  hunting,  fishing,  or  trading  party  along 
the  banks  of  the  Ottawa  and  St.  Lawrence  rivers. 

I  Relations  1647,  p.  74. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WAR    OP  EXTERMINATION. 

MISSIONERS  AMONG  THE  HURONS-THEIR  MANNER  OF  LIVING-TO 
ARMS,  THE  IROQUOIS  COME-ATTACK  ON  ST.  JOSEPHS  MIS- 
SION-HURONS  FLY  TO  THE  CHAPEL-CHRISTIAN  HURONS  LED 
CAPTIVE  TO  IROQUOIS  COUNTRY-ST.  IGNACE  DESTROYED- 
SAVAGE  SLAUGHTER-JESUIT  MARTYRS-THE  HURON  NATION 
DISPERSED-IROQUOIS  EXTERMINATE  THE  KAHQUAHS-FIDEL- 
ITY  OF  HURON  CAPTIVES. 

MISSIONARIES  had  labored  for  nearly  forty  years 
among  the  Hurons,  the  Algonquins,  and  neigh- 
boring nations  in  the  north  of  Canada,  and  along 
the  shores  of  Georgian  Bay,  before  the  period  of  the  Iro- 
quois mission.  In  1648  there  were  eighteen  missionaries 
among  the  Hurons,  four  lay  brothers,  and  some  other 
Europeans  who  were  interested  in  the  fur  trade.  De- 
prived of  all  the  comforts  ^^  civilized  life,  these  mission- 
aries devoted  their  lives  to  the  enlightenment  and  evange- 
lization of  these  poor,  benighted  barbarians;  and  their  only 
regret  seemed  to  be  that  they  could  not  effect  more  good 
among  them.  "By  night  a  bundle  of  faggots  served  them 
for  a  pillow,  and  their  mantles  formed  their  only  cover- 
ing. Their  meals  were  taken  on  the  ground,  while  re- 
clining on  mats  of  rushes  or  seated  on  billets  of  wood. 
The  earth  or  their  knees  furnished  a  table,  and  leaves  of 
Indian  corn  were  their  only  napkins.  Knives  they  had, 
but  they  were  useless ;  for  there  was  no  bread  to  eat,  and 
meat  was  so  rare,  that  if  by  chance  the  Indians  gave 


50 


THE   IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


m\ 


1; 


|li 
11 


them  a  portion  of  their  game,  it  was  carefully  laid  aside 
and  kept  for  Easter.  Their  ordinary  food  consisted  of 
Indian  sagamite  or  corn  pounded  between  stones  or  in  a 
wooden  mortar,  and  boiled  in  water.  Into  this  was 
thrown,  to  give  it  relish,  some  sweet  majoram,  purslain, 
or  balm,  and  a  kind  of  wild  onion  which  they  found  in 
the  woods.  Their  only  drink  was  water  from  the  brook, 
or  the  sap  which  they  caught  from  the  maple  in  their 
trough  of  bark.  Wild  grapes,  bruised  and  pressed  in  a 
cloth  over  a  bark  vessel,  furnished  them  wine  for  the 
mass  or  for  medicinal  purposes. "'  They  rose  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning  and  spent  three  hours  in  prayer,  in  medi- 
tation, and  in  celebrating  mass.  At  eight  o'clock  they 
admitted  the  Indians  to  instruction,  and  afterwards  they 
visited  the  cabins  to  instruct  and  baptize  the  sick.  About 
five  o'clock  they  closed  the  chapel  and  spent  the  even- 
ing in  prayer  and  study,  by  the  fitful  light  of  pine  or 
hemlock  logs.' 

On  the  morning  of  July  4,  1648,  Father  Anthony 
Daniel,  who  had  charge  of  the  Huron  Mission  of  St. 
Joseph,  had  just  finished  mass,  and  his  people  were  still 
engaged  in  their  devotions  when  the  alarm  was  given, 
and  the  cry  "to  arms"  was  heard.'  The  dreaded  Iroquois 
had  come.  The  greatest  confusion  followed,  and  the  ter- 
ror-stricken Hurons  flocked  around  their  spiritual  Father 
for  protection.  The  catechumens  sought  for  baptism  at 
the  hands  of  the  Jesuit,  as  a  preparation  for  the  certain 
death  that  awaited  them.  But  the  number  was  too 
large,  and  the  danger  too  imminent  to  take  them  singly; 
so,  dipping  the  handkerchief  in  water,  he  performed  the 
rite  upon  the  whole  crowd  by  aspersion.  Although  the 
Hurons  were  brave  warriors,  yet  they  made  no  effort  to 

I  Relations,  translated  by  Marshall,     a  Parknun.    3  Relations. 


HURONS  FLY  TO  THE  CHAPEL. 


61 


defend  their  homes;  the  numbers  of  the  enemy,  the  argue- 
buses  with  which  they  were  armed,  and  the  unexpected 
attack  seeming  to  entirely  dishearten  them. 

The  Iroquois  burned  and  pillaged  the  homes  of  the 
Hurons  and  killed  indiscriminately  men,  women,  and 
children,  throwing  many  of  them  into  the  flames  as  a 
more  convenient  and  cruel  form  of  death. 

Crowds  hastened  to  the  chapel  where  Father  Daniels 
remained  to  console  and  encourage  them.  The  enemy 
soon  discovered  this  place  of  refuge,  and  with  a  wild 
whoop  assembled  to  apply  the  torch  to  the  chapel  and 
the  tomahawk  to  the  defenseless  Christians.  Father 
Daniels  was  the  first  to  fall,  pierced  with  arrows,  and 
his  death  made  him  the  first  Jesuit  martyr  of  the  Huron 
missions.  Many  escaped  to  neighboring  villages;  but 
about  seven  hundred  were  led  captives  to  the  Iroquois 
territory,  and  as  many  of  these  were  well  instructed  con- 
verts, they  constituted  the  first  large  body  of  Christians 
in  the  land  of  the  Iroquois. 

On  the  night  of  March  i6,  1649,  a  well  armed  body 
of  about  two  thousand  Iroquois  glided  swiftly  and  noise- 
lessly over  the  snow-covered  ground  to  the  Huron  village 
of  St.  Ignace.  Although  the  place  was  well  situated  for 
defense,  and  was  fortified  with  palisades  and  a  ditch,  yet 
there  were  no  sentinels  or  guards,  and  the  lioquois  suc- 
ceeded in  effecting  an  entrance  at  the  break  of  day,  while 
the  Hurons  were  wrapped  in  profound  sleep. 

Of  the  four  hundred  inhabitants  of  this  village  but 
three  escaped.  All  the  others  fell  victims  to  the  toma- 
hawk, the  arrow  or  the  flames,  or  were  reserved  for 
mere  cruel  tortures.  The  victorious  Iroquois  immedi- 
ately hastened  to  the  adjacent  villages,  where  they  con- 
tinued their  work  of  destruction,  rapine,  and  slaughter. 


lu 


52 


THE  IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


iU  ■::■•. 


1>*  ■ 


B' 


I!::. 


lil 


iJi#(! 


Savage  and  cruel  as  they  were  by  nature,  yet  they 
seemed  to  act  more  like  demons  than  human  beings  in 
the  tortures  they  inflicted  upon  the  defenseless  Hurons 
and  the  Jesuit  missionaries.  They  would  bind  their 
victims  to  stakes  driven  in  the  earthen  cabin  floors,  and 
applying  any  convenient  combustible  material  to  their 
feet  and  bodies  would  start  the  fire;  and  while  the  odor 
of  burning  flesh  ascended  with  the  flames  they  would 
dance  in  savage  joy,  and  with  the  groans  of  the  dying 
they  would  mingle  their  demoniac  yells  of  fiendish  glee. 
They  plucked  out  the  eyes  of  some  and  in  the  vacant 
sockets  put  living  coals ;  they  put  necklaces  of  heated  iron 
or  stone  hatchets  around  the  necks  of  others,  or  cut  off 
pieces  of  flesh,  roasted  and  devoured  them  while  the 
victims  were  still  living.  This  diabolical  frenzy  continued 
for  three  days  when  the  Iroquois  became  panic-stricken, 
and  fled  in  confusion  and  disorder  towards  their  homes, 
bearing  with  them  much  plunder  and  many  captives. 

Two  of  the  celebrated  Jesuit  missionaries.  Fathers 
Brebeuf  and  Lallemant,  perished  in  this  conflict,  after 
enduring  the  most  cruel  torments.  Shortly  after,  the 
Hurons,  accompanied  by  the  remaining  Jesuits, abandoned 
their  homes  and  bade  farewell  forever  to  their  ancient 
domains.  The  lake  which  bears  their  name  is  the  only 
remaining  vestige  of  the  once  powerful  and  populous 
race  that  dwelt  along  its  shores ;  and  in  its  ceaseless  ebb 
and  flow,  and  storm-tossed  waves  is. a  fitting  symbolic 
memorial  of  this  turbulent  tribe  of  Indians. 

After  the  Iroquois'  invasion  they  ceased  to  exist  as  a 
nation,  and  wandered  away  in  different  bands  to  seek  a 
new  home  in  the  islands  of  the  lake,  or  i  nong  some 
friendly  nation.  About  600  descended  to  Quebec  with 
Father  Ragueneau,  and  settled  on  the  Island  of  Orleans, 
under  the  protection  of  the  French. 


HURONS  AND  OTHER  CHRISTIAN  CAPTIVES. 


63 


The  success  of  the  Iroquois  in  their  war  with  the 
Hurons  emboldened  them  to  attack  their  neighbors,  the 
Kahquahs,'  or  Neuters;  and  so  savage  and  persistent  was 
the  onslaught,  that  about  the  year  165 1  they  destroyed 
the  entire  nation,  excepting  some  ^ew  who  escaped,  and 
some  others  whom  they  led  in  captivity  to  their  own 
villages.  They  sent  an  army  of  1,200  warriors  to  attack 
the  frontier  towns  of  the  Neuters  in  the  autumn  of  1650, 
and  they  destroyed  one  of  the  large  towns,  where  they 
massacred  or  mutilated  the  old,  the  infirm,  and  the 
infants,  who  would  be  of  no  use  to  them  in  their  own 
land,  and  they  led  many  captives  across  the  border.  The 
Neuters  gathered  all  their  warriors  and  transferred  the 
scene  of  carnage  to  the  land  of  the  Iroquois.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  a  large  number  of  the  Iroquois,  probably 
near  the  Genesee  River.  The  Iroquois  patiently  waited 
till  spring,  when  their  entire  army  of  warriors  crossed 
the  border  and  made  a  savage  attack  upon  the  Neuter 
towns.  They  completely  routed  the  Neuters,  burned 
their  town,  and  destroyed  the  entire  nation.  Many  of 
the  Neuters  .led,  like  their  Huron  brethren,  to  the  islands 
or  bays  of  the  west  or  south,  to  seek  a  new  home  among 
some  friendly  tribe,  whilst  many  more  meekly  followed 
their  capiors  to  strengthen  their  army  or  replenish  their 
numbers. 

Some  of  the  old  Huron  Christians  had  sought  an 
asylum  among  the  Neuters  after  the  dispersion  of  their 
own  people,  and  now  that  the  arms  of  their  friendly  hosts 

I  Because  they  offered  an  asylum  to  the  Hurons.  General  Clark  maintains  that  the 
Kahquahs  and  the  Neuters  were  not  identical,  and  the  former  were  an  independent  tribe, 
dwelling  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  westward  of  the  Neuter  towns.  He  has  dis- 
covered the  vestiges  of  the  Neuter  towns,  east  of  the  Niagara,  and  has  located  them  in 
almost  a  direct  line  east  of  Lewiston.  One  was  situated  a  little  east  of  Lewiston,  another 
in  the  center  of  the  town  of  Cambria;  the  third,  one  mile  west  of  Lockport;  the  fourth, 
two  miles  west  of  Shelby  Centre,  Orleans  Co. 


'  > 


s 


!.;^ 


I :)':. 


54 


THE   IROQ.UOIS   AND  THE  JESUItS. 


are  bound  as  Iroquois  captives,  they,  too,  follow  volun- 
tarily, and  beg  to  be  admitted  as  members  of  some  of  the 
clans  of  their  old  enemies. 

Some  of  the  Fathers  could  see  in  this  dispersion  of 
the  Christians  the  Providence  of  God  which  thus  paved 
the  way  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  the  land  of 
the  Iroquois. 

For  many  years  the  Hurons  and  other  Christian  cap- 
tives were  deprived  of  the  sacraments  and  all  spiritual 
ministrations  of  the  missionaries ;  yet,  the  intelligeiit  and 
zealous  ones  among  them  kept  alive,  by  public  prayers 
and  exhortations,  the  spirit  of  faith  and  devotion.  They 
assembled  on  Sundays  in  some  friendly  cabin,  and  list- 
ened to  the  rehearsal  of  the  teachings  of  the  Jesuits,  from 
the  lips  of  some  able  and  eloquent  chief.' 

Many  of  the  Iroquois  were  favorably  disposed  towards 
Christianity  from  what  they  had  seen  and  experienced  of 
the  ceremonies  and  institutions  of  the  Church  at  Quebec, 
and  were  not  inclined  to  interfere  with  the  devotions  of 
their  Huron  slaves. 


iii* 


I  Fatllon,  "Colcnie  Francaise." 


m^ 


Wi 


m 

ii!;iiii> 


CHAPTHR   IX. 

EPISODES  OF  WAR. 

IROaUOIS  PLUNDER  FRENCH— ALGONaUlNS  ATTACKED— SLAUGH- 
TER OF  PETUNS — FATHER  GARNIER  KILLED — CAPTURE  OF 
FATHER  PONCET — TORTURED  BY  MOHAWKS— RESTORED  TO 
Q.UEBEC — MOHAWKS  PROPOSE  PEACE — ALGONQUIN  TRADERS 
— NEW  MISSION  FIELD— FATHER  GARREAU  SLAIN — IROQUOIS 
REASON  FOR  PEACE — BRIGHT  PROSPECTS. 

ON  the  morning  of  March  i6,  1647,  all  the  French  at 
Three  Rivers  went  to  the  church,  as  it  was  Ash 
Wednesday,  to  begin,  in  a  proper  manner,  the 
holy  season  of  Lent.  When  they  returned  to  their  homes 
they  discovered  that  the  Iroquois  had  taken  advantage  of 
their  absence,  and  carried  off  many  of  their  fire-arms  and 
furs. 

This  band  of  Iroquois  learned  that  some  Algonquins 
had  left  their  homes  to  hunt  for  deer,  and  they  im- 
mediately divided  into  two  parties,  and  hastened  to 
attack  their  old  foes.  One  of  these  parties  met  the  fam- 
ous Algonquin  Chief.  Pieskaret,  who  had  taken  such  a 
prominent  part  in  the  peace  councils  the  preceding  year, 
and  as  he  was  alone  they  found  him  an  easy  prey  to  their 
fury.  They  met  other  parties  of  Algonquin  hunters, 
upon  whom  they  wreaked  their  cruel  vengeance,  and 
they  tortured,  killed,  or  led  them  captives  to  their 
Mohawk  homes.  Some  of  the  Algonquins  escaped,  and 
they  brought  news  to  the  French  of  the  death  of  Father 
Jogues. 


56 


THE   IROQUOIS  AND   THE  JESUITS. 


II,Hflf"l*'l!i 


h ! 


Si 


Elated  with  the  success  which  attended  their 
slaughter  of  the  Hurons,  the  Iroquois  turned  their  con- 
quering arms  against  other  nations,  and  they  had 
evidently  resolved  to  subjugate  all  the  Indians  of  Am- 
erica, or  destroy  their  homes. 

The  Petun,  or  Tobacco  Nation,  was  situated  be- 
tween the  Hurons  and  the  Neuters,  and  several  large  and 
prosperous  missions  were  established  among  them  by 
the  Fathers  from  the  Huron  towns.  After  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  neighbors,  the  Hurons,  the  Petuns  daily 
looked  for  a  visitation  from  the  dreaded  Iroquois.  There 
was  one  town  of  about  2,000  inhabitants,  which  the 
French  called  St.  John's;  and  Father  Charles  Gamier  had  a 
little  chapel  here,  and  a  goodly  number  of  Christians,  be- 
fore their  northern  skies  were  lit  by  the  flames  of  the 
fire-brands  from  the  south. 

Early  in  December,  1649,  news  came  to  St.  John's 
that  a  band  of  about  300  Iroquois  warriors  was  rapidly 
advancing  to  attack  the  town.  The  Petuns  were  brave 
warriors,  and  did  not  fear  this  small  band  of  invaders,  so 
instead  of  fortifying  their  town  and  waiting  for  the  battle 
in  a  favorable  location,  they  went  boldly  forth  to  meet 
the  enemy. 

Many  years  of  warfare  had  taught  the  Iroquois  to  use 
all  the  strategies  of  successful  generalship;  and  instead  of 
following  the  direct  path  they  circled  round  the  town, 
and  entered  from  the  opposite  direction,  before  the  war- 
riors of  the  place  were  aware  of  their  presence. 

The  deeds  of  carnage  and  horror  enacted  in  the 
Huron  towns  were  repeated  here.  Taken  at  a  disadvant- 
age, the  Petuns  seemed  to  lose  all  courage ;  and  they  fell 
before  the  onslaught  of  the  Iroquois  like  the  ripened 
grain  before  the  reaper's, blows.     Many  hastened  to  the 


FATHER   GARNIER    KILLED. 


57 


little  chapel  where  Father  Gamier  gave  them  his  blessing, 
and  urged  them  to  flee.  They  begged  him  to  fly  with 
them;  but  no,  charity  and  the  duties  of  his  office  com- 
pelled him  to  remain — to  comfort  the  dying,  to  bury  the 
dead.  Whilst  performing  his  deeds  of  mercy  he  was 
shot  by  an  Iroquois,  and  his  skull  was  afterwards  crushed 
by  the  blov  of  a  tomahawk. 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  St,  John's  escaped  to  the 
neighboring  town  where  two  Fathers  were  located,  bring- 
ing the  news  of  their  loss.  The  Fathers  hastened  the 
next  morning  to  St.  John's,  where  they  beheld  a  scene 
of  sad  desolation.  The  Iroquois  had  departed,  leaving 
the  charred  embers  of  the  cabins,  and  the  burnt  and 
mutilated  bodies  of  their  victims  as  evidence  of  their  sav- 
age destruction. 

The  body  of  Father  Gamier  was  found,  and  was 
buried  beneath  the  ashes  of  the  little  chapel;  and  thus 
was  added  another  holy  Jesuit  martyr  to  the  number 
already  slain  by  the  Iroquois. 

The  Franch  were  obliged  to  carry  to  the  harvest  fields 
their  fire-arms  as  well  as  their  reapers  and  sickles,  for  the 
forests  were  infested  with  Iroquois,  waiting  to  scalp  the 
unwary;  so  the  colonists  went  in  well-armed  bands  to 
reap  their  grain. 

Father  Poncet,  with  Mathurin  Franchetot,  set  out 
from  Quebec  to  organize  one  of  these  little  bands  to  assist 
a  poor  widow  to  gather  her  grain.  Whilst  they  were 
looking  for  men  to  aid  them  in  their  work  of  charity, 
they  were  seized  by  the  Iroquois,  and  were  hurried  off  to 
the  Mohawk  towns,  before  the  French  could  come  to 
their  rescue. 

Father  Poncet  carried  a  little  reliquary  about  his  neck, 
in  which  was  inclosed  a  slip  of  paper  with  the  names  of 


il 


58 


THE   IROQUOIS   AND  THH  JESUITS. 


■  MP 


4:\- 


i 


Hr 


^li'' 


\m 

^Wf 

1 

1 

\m 

IP''' 

11 

i 


I..::::':  ! 


the  Jesuits  martyred  by  the  Iroquois,  with  a  note  stating 
that  he  hoped  his  own  naniC  would  soon  be  added  to  the 
list.  He  could  easily  believe  that  the  martyr's  crown 
was  not  far  distant  when  he  was  compelled  to  run  the 
gauntlet  at  the  Mohawk  town,  whilst  heavy  blows  fell 
upon  his  back  and  limbs.  He  was  forced  to  sing  for 
them ;  and  he  sang  the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and 
the  "f^eni  Creator."  He  w'.s  stripped  of  most  of  his 
clothing,  and  was  led  to  the  cabin  of  his  captor.  Here  a 
woman  offered  a  belt  of  beads  for  one  of  his  fingers. 
The  price  was  accepted ;  and  a  knife  was  given  to  a  little 
child,  who  cut  off  one  of  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand.  A 
red-hot  ember  was  then  applied  to  the  stump,  to  sear  the 
wound,  and  to  stop  the  bleeding. 

He  was  marched  bare-headed  and  bare-footed  to  the 
next  village  v/here  similar  atrocities  were  perpetrated,  as 
every  one  who  met  him  struck  him  a  blow,  or  applied  a 
lighted  ember  or  pipe  to  his  flesh. 

The  ancients  recommended  that  his  life  should  be 
spared,  as  he  was  an  important  captive,  so  he  was  given 
to  an  old  woman  who  had  lost  a  brother  in  war.  His 
companion,  however,  Mathurin,  was  taken  to  the  third 
village,  where  he  was  burned  at  the  stake. 

Father  Poncet  was  kindly  treated  after  his  first  few 
days  of  torture,  as  orders  evidently  came  from  a  Mohawk 
war  party  on  the  St.  Lawrence  to  save  his  life,  and  to 
bring  him  back  to  Quebec.  H^  was  taken  to  Albany, 
where  new  clothes  were  purchase  u  for  him,  and  he  was 
supplied  with  provisions'  for  his  homeward  journey. 

About  500  Mohawk  warriors  lurked  around  Three 
Rivers  for  many  days,  hoping  to  surprise  the  inhabitants 

I  A  ki:idly  Scotch  Udy  procured  a  surgeon  to  heal  his  wounds;  and  a  Belgian  Catho- 
lic nerchant  at  Albany  gave  him  a  quantity  of  dried  fish. 


FATHER  PONCETS  CAPTURE. 


60 


and  destroy  the  town.  Father  Poncet  Tvas  greatly  beloved 
by  the  people  of  Quebec,  and  when  the  news  of  his  cap- 
ture spread  through  the  town,  a  party  of  fifty  or  sixty 
well-armed  and  determined  men  was  organized  to  rescue 
him  from  the  hands  of  his  captors.  When  the  party 
reached  Three  Rivers  the  place  was  beseiged  by  the  Mo- 
hawks; and,  as  these  believed  that  the  little  army  of 
French  was  a  reinforcement  for  the  town,  they  immedi- 
ately sued  for  peace.  The  French  replied  that  they  would 
not  listen  to  any  terms  of  peace  until  the  Mohawks  had 
brought  Father  Poncet  back  to  his  home,  so  the  Mohawks 
hastely  sent  a  canoe  load  of  their  warriors  for  the  Jesuit 
Father,  and  restored  him  to  Quebec. 

Although  the  Mohawks  made  overtures  of  peace, 
yet  they  continued  to  wage  war  upon  the  Indian  allies  of 
the  French,  and  they  did  not  scruple  to  scalp  any  unpro- 
tected Frenchman  they  met  in  the  forest  or  on  the  river. 

Many  Indians  came  hundreds  of  miles  to  trade  with 
the  French;  and  often  enterprising  merchants,  or  daring 
explorers,  returned  with  them  to  their  own  country,  to 
promote  the  trade  in  furs,  or  to  discover  new  lands.  In 
the  fall  of  1655  two  young  Frenchmen  returned  with  some 
Algonquins  to  their  home  in  the  far  northwest,  about 
1,200  miles  from  Quebec,  and  they  did  not  return  till 
August  of  the  following  year,  when  about  250  Algon- 
quins came  with  them,  richly  laden  with  furs.  These 
young  Frenchmen  were  zealous  Christians,  and  they  not 
only  instructed  and  baptized  some  of  the  dying,  but  they 
also  told  the  Indians  about  Christianity,  and  about  the 
Jesuit  missioners:  so  when  they  came  again  to  Quebec 
they  gave  presents  lO  invite  the  French  to  their  country, 
and  to  request  the  Fathers  to  come  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

The  Revs.  Leonard  Garreau  and  Gabriel  Dreuillettes 


.1   *  ! 


..sin 


lifl: 


i'M 


1 

N 

1 

1 

H 

"i 

1 

I'll! 
'1 

m 

llj 

1 

H 

'  .:i;ii 

ul| 

lli' 

' 

i 

'i 

h 

i' 

If 

• 

:iill 

60  THE  IROaUOIS.AND  THE  JESUITS. 

knew  the  Huron  and  Algonquin  languages  well,  and  with 
one  lay  brother,  and  three  Frenchmen,  they  were  selected 
for  this  distant  mission.'  Thirty  Frenchmen  also  pre- 
pared to  go,  to  promote  the  fur  trade;  and  all  departed 
amid  great  rejoicing,  and  the  booming  of  cannon.  Some 
distance  up  the  river  they  met  two  soldiers  in  a  canoe, 
who  were  sent  from  Three  Rivers  to  warn  them  that  the 
Mohawks  were  on  the  warpath.  The  thirty  French 
merchants  and  explorers  had  no  taste  for  Mohawk  war- 
fare, so  they  returned  to  Quebec. 

Some  of  these  Algonquins  had  never  before  handled 
fire-arms,  and  they  were  as  pleased  with  their  new 
weapon  as  a  child  would  be  v/ith  a  toy  pistol;  and  they 
kept  firing  their  guns  in  the  air  to  listen  to  the  sound, 
although  warned  that  they  would  attract  the  Mohawks 
by  the  noise.  About  1 20  Mohawks  were  lying  in  ambush, 
and  discovered  the  voyagers;  but  as  the  Algonquin  party 
was  so  large  they  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  openly  attack 
them,  so  they  hastened  through  the  forest  to  a  favorable 
position  on  the  river,  where  they  constructed  a  little 
breastwork,  and  awaited  the  enemy.  Six  canoes  were  a 
short  distance  in  advance  of  the  main  body;  and  upon 
these  the  Monawks  fired,  mortally  wounding  Father 
Garreau.  The  Algonquins  landed  and  pursued  the  enemy 
to  their  vantage  ground,  from  which  they  could  not  dis- 
lodge them;  so,  afler  some  parleying  a.id  strategy,*  they 
hastened  away,  under  the  cover  of  night,  leaving  the 
French  to  their  fate. 

The  Mohawks  dragged  Father  Garreau  to  their  little 
fort,  stripped  him  of  his  clothing,  and  left  him  upon  the 
ground  for  three  days  without  food  or  drink.     They  then 

1  Relations,  1656 

2  At  night  was  near  they  agreed  with  the  Mohawks  upon  a  ti  uce  till  morning. 


FATHER  GARREAU  S  DEATH. 


61 


brought  him  to  Montreal,  where  he  died  the  day  of  his 
arrival,  September  2,  1656. 

Father  Garreau  was  greatly  beloved  by  the  French, 
and  his  death  was  mourned  as  a  public  loss.  He  died 
with  no  feelings  of  resentment  towards  the  Iroquois  for 
their  ill  treatment,  but  rejoiced  that  he  could  die  like  his 
Master,  stripped  of  his  garments.  His  death  added  another 
bead  to  the  rosary  string  of  Jesuit  martyrs. 

The  French  fasted,  and  prayed,  and  made  novenas, 
that  they  might  be  delivered  from  the  Iroquois  scourge. 
Bands  of  warriors  from  the  different  nations  would  come 
to  sue  for  peace;  but  soon  after  would  commit  some  hostile 
act,  which  showed  that  in  these  negotiations  they  were 
not  sincere,  or  that  they  wished  to  secure  immunity  of 
attack  from  the  French,  or  their  neutrality  in  their  wars 
with  other  Indians. 

When  the  Mohawks  restored  Father  Poncet  they 
made  the  customary  proposition  of  peace;  but  at  mid- 
night they  aroused  some  of  the  Huron  chiefs,  offered 
them  presents,  and  tried  to  induce  them  to  leave  the 
French  and  come  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  Mohawks. 
The  Hurons  did  not  dare  refuse  the  presents  offered,  so 
they  fearfully  accepted  them,  as  they  believed  that  the 
Mohawks  intended  by  this  plan  to  weaken  the  French,  or 
take  the  Hurons  away  from  their  protection,  when  they 
could  more  easily  slaughter  them. 

The  Onondagas  also  came  early  in  1654  to  hold  a 
parley  of  peace,  but  their  chief  object  was  to  induce  the 
Hurons,  living  near  Quebec,  to  abandon  the  French,  and 
to  come  to  dwell  at  Onondaga.  To  conceal  their  design 
from  the  French,  they  advised  the  Hurons  to  say  they 
wished  to  move  to  Montreal;  and,  when  they  reached 
this  point,  400  or  soo  Onondagas  would  be  ready  to 
cover  their  flight.     The  Onondagas  advised  the  Hurons 


■m 


62 


THE   IR0Q.U01S   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


iii'^: 


IK 


111 : 


Hilii: 


not  to  reveal  these  plans  to  the  women  or  children,  to 
more  effectually  hide  them  from  the  French.  This 
scheme  was  proposed  to  a  few  Huron  chiefs  at  midnight, 
and  presents  were  exchanged,  as  had  been  done  with  the 
Mohawks  on  a  similar  occasion. 

As  the  Hurons  had  killed  a  large  number  of  Onon- 
dagas,  and  had  burned  a  great  Mohawk  chief,  they  firmly 
believed  that  these  people  wished  to  lead  them  away  to 
captivity,  to  torture,  or  to  death.  They  placed  the  mat- 
tor  before  the  French,  who  advised  them  to  temporize 
with  the  Iroquois,  as  they  did  not  like  to  see  the  bright 
visions  of  peace  so  suddenly  vanish.  Another  meeting 
was  held,  at  which  the  Governor  was  present,  and  the 
Hurons  gave  two  presents:  First,  to  delay  their  going  to 
the  following  year;  second,  to  ask  the  Onondagas  to 
build  a  Catholic  chapel,  and  the}  would  willingly  go 
wherever  the  Fathers  went. 

Bright  prospects  of  peace  began  to  dawn  on  the  French 
colony  in  the  spring  of  1654.  The  colonists  could  till 
their  fields  without  fear  of  molestation,  and  the  forest 
contained  a  great  abundance  of  game.  The  great  Erie- 
Iroquois  war  had  already  begun,  and  the  French  felt 
secure,  because  the  arms  of  their  old  enemies  would  be 
employed  in  exterminating  their  powerful  neighbors. 

Another  band  of  Onondagas  came  to  Montreal  in 
May,  and  they  gave  a  large  number  of  presents  in  the 
names  of  the  Onondagas,  the  Oneidas,  the  Cayugas,  and 
the  Senecas.  They  gave  one  present  as  a  pledge  that 
they  would  bi.rn  the  scaffolds  upon  which  they  tortured 
their  pri«;^  .^rs;  secondly,  they  asked  for  a  priest;  thirdly, 
they  promised  to  respect  him;  finally,  they  wished  to 
have  their  people  taught  the  truths  of  the  Master  of  Life' 
Peace,  at  last,  seemed  to  smile  through  the  grim 
visage  of  war. 

I  RcUtions,  1654. 


V.J 


m 


CHAPTHR  X. 
PDA  en. 

ONONDAGAS  AND  ONEIOAS  PROPOSE  PEACE-SENECAS  AND  CAYU- 
GAS  FOLl.OW-MOHAWKS  SEND  DHPUTIES-PRELIMINARiES- 
FRENCH  AND  FATHERS  REJOICE-DOUBTFUL  SINCERITY-IRO- 
QUOIS  RENOUNCE  CANNIBAI.ISM-LE  MOYNE  VISITS  THE  IRO- 
QUOIS COUNTRY-HEARS  CONFESSION  OF  HURONS-MANY 
CHRISTIANS-THE  COUNCIL-ONONDAGAS  ASK  FOR  MISSIONERS. 

DIFFERENT  parties  of  Iroquois  made  proposals  of 
peace  to  the  French,  but,  as  they  would  not 
include  the  Indian  allies  of  the  latter  in  their  treaty, 
friendly  relations  could  not  be  established.  The  Onon- 
dagas  and  Oneidas,  near  neighbors,  were  the  first  to 
come  with  proposals  of  peace,  and  with  presents  as 
pledges  of  their  sincerity.'  They  made  speeches  invok- 
ing the  sun  to  dissipate  the  clouds  that  obscured  the 
light  of  mutual  understanding  and  friendship,  and  they 
offered  their  belts  of  wampum  to  wipe  away  the  tears 
shed  over  those  slain  in  war;  to  cheer  the  heart  after 
past  sorrows;  to  cover  the  slain,  so  that  thoughts  of  their 
loss  might  not  be  an  obstacle  to  peace;  and  to  cleanse 
the  waters  of  the  river  soiled  with  the  blood  of  their 
victims. 

The  Senecas  and  the  Cayugas  also  came  pleading  for 
peace,  but  the  French  would  not  conclude  any  treaty 
which  did  not  include  every  one  of  the  Five  Nation  ;,  and 
also  their  own  Indian  allies.     The  Mohawks  were  still 


t  ReUtlona,  165). 


68 


^  ilii 


!il 


64  THE  FRENCH  AND  FATHERS  REJOICE. 

hostile,  but  finally  sent  a  deputation  to  Quebec ;  and  as 
these  warriors  witnessed  tiie  procession  in  honor  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  in  which  400  well  armed, 
and  well  drilled,  French  soldiers  took  part,  they  realized 
that  these  soldiers  would  make  formidable  foes,  and  that 
it  would  be  to  their  own  interests  to  join  in  the  proposals 
of  peace  which  the  other  four  nations  were  making.  The 
French,  however,  as  a  preliminary  step  towards  peace 
insisted  on  the  restoration  of  Father  Poncet,  S.  J.,  whom 
the  Mohawks  had  captured  in  August,  1652.  The  Mo- 
hawks complied,  and  brought  the  missioner  back  to 
Quebec,  in  November,  1652.  The  entire  French  colony 
then  rejoiced  at  the  prospective  peace  and  consequent 
prosperity  which  would  ensue  from  the  removal  of  the 
great  shadow  of  death  which  hung  over  the  colony  from 
the  beginning,  blighting  every  hope  of  religious  advance- 
ment or  commercial  success.  The  hostile  Iroquois  had 
destroyed  or  dispersed  the  infant  churches  among  the 
Hurons  and  the  Algonquins,  and  had  prevented  the  Mis- 
sionaries from  carrying  the  light  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
populous  nations  of  the  south  and  west;  but  through 
the  prospective  peace  these  zealous  Fathers  could  see 
vast  fields  of  abundant  harvests  awaiting  the  laborers  of 
the  Lord.  The  French  authorities  were  willing  to  make 
sacrifices  and  take  great  risks  in  order  to  secure  peace, 
but  they  had  very  grave  reasons  to  doubt  the  sincerity  of 
the  Iroquois. 

Father  Poncet,'  who  had  just  returned  from  the  Mo- 
hawk country,  was  fully  convinced  that  these  people 
were  sincere;  but  the  Hurons  at  the  Island  of  Orleans 
firmly  believed'  that  the  Iroquois  intended,  under  the 
cloak  of  peace,  to  induce  themselves  and  some  French  to 

I  Relatione,  16^3.  2  ReUtions,  16S4. 


THE   iKOCiUOIS   AND   THFi  JHSUITS. 


65 


l« 


t\ 


emigrate  to  their  country  so  they  could  more  easily  dis- 
arm and  torture  them,  mal<e  them  slaves,  or  put  them  to 
death.     They  asked  for  missionaries, '  but  they  well  knew 
that  the  Hurons  were  Catholics  and  would  not  leave  their 
own   homes   unless   priests    accompanied    them.     One 
good  effect  produced  by  these  preliminaries  of  peace  was 
the  offering  by  the  Onondagas  of  a  belt  to  the  French  in 
February,  1654,  by  which   they  pledged   themselves  to 
bury  forever  the  caldron  of  war,  in  which  they  boiled 
human  flesh*  which  they  afterwards  devoured.     It  was 
judged  necessary  to  send  an  envoy  or  embassador,  to 
the  Iroquois  country,  and  Father  LeMoyne  was  selected 
for  this   delicate   mission.     He  started,  therefore,  from 
Montreal  July  17,  1654,  in  company  with  some  Iroquois, 
the  first  messenger  of  peace  to  these  savage  people.     The 
journey  up  the  river  was  long  and  toilsome,  wading  at 
times  waist  deep  in  the  water,  and  dragging  their  boats 
through   the  rapids  and  between  the  rocks,  sleeping  at 
night  under  trees  or  under  their  light  canoes  as  a  shelter 
from  the  rain,  or  carrying  their  boats  and  baggage  over 
the  portages  on  their  shoulders.     They  had,    however, 
the  charming  view  of  the  virgin  forest,  and  the  enchant- 
ing scene  of  the  Thousand  Islands,  inhabited  by  deer,' 
and  other  game,  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  their  toil. 
They  reached  Lake  Ontario  the  last  day  of  July,  and  the 
next  day  they  arrived  at  a  fishing  village  where  I.eMovnc 
heard  the  coniessions  of  some  Hurons  whose  firm  faith, 
preserved  intact  in  their  years  of  captivity,  drew  tears  of 
joy  from  his  eyes.      _      j     . 

I  Falllon. 

a  Relations,  i6$4.  The  Iroquuli  were  cannibals  only  in  war,  or  torturing  an  enemy; 
at  then  they  devoured  the  flesh  of  their  victims  as  a  greater  mark  of  cruelty,  or  to  acquire 
their  spirit  of  tiruvery. 

)  leMoyne  calls  these  wild  cows,  and  they  niiiy  have  been  buffaloes. 


»     '  r..  h 


mv 


in  /:(!': 


ii 

1 

I 

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1 

1 

Mill 

ll 

If 

66 


THR  COUNCIL. 


They  proceeded  overland  towards  Onondaga,  and  in 
every  village'  through  which  they  passed  the  Christian 
Hurons  gathered  around  the  missioner  to  receive  from 
him  the  blessing  and  the  sacrament  of  which  they  had 
been  deprived  for  years.  On  August  7  he  baptized  a 
young  Neuter  who  had  been  instructed  by  Teresa,  the 
Huron.  LeMoyne  rejoiced  that  he  found  himself  in  an 
already  formed  Christian  community.'  Some  of  the  Iro- 
quois had  become  Catholics,  or  at  least,  had  learned  from 
their  Huron  captives  to  practice  Christian  works  of  piety 
and  devotion;  as  the  latter  told  Father  LeMoyne  that 
many  of  them  died  with  prayers  on  their  lips,  and  invok- 
ing the  name  of  Jesus. 

On  August  10,  a  council  was  held  at  the  chief 
village,^*  about  ten  miles  southeast  of  Lake  Onondaga, 
on  Indian  Hill,  two  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Manlius,' 
at  which  all  the  Iroquois  nations  except  the  Mohawks 
were  represented.  Father  Le  Moyne  opened  the  pro- 
ceedings4  by  invoking  God's  blessing  on  their  delibera- 
tions, beseeching  Him  to  give  wisdom  to  their  councils, 
and  understanding  to  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  He  ad- 
dressed them  in  the  Huron  language,  which  they  under- 
stood, and  in  Indian  style,  giving  a  present  with  each 
proposition.  First  he  offered  a  belt  of  green  glass  beads, 
the  diamonds  of  the  country,  and  a  valuable  robe  as  a 
pledge  of  the  good  will  of  the  Governor.  He  gave  them 
pledges  of  the  release  of  eight  Senecas,  captives  at  Que- 
bec, and  also  of  the  release  of  some  Loup  Indian  prisoners, 
who  were  allies  of  the  Iroquois.  He  assured  them 
that  the  gates  of  the  French  cities  were  open  to  the 

I   These  were  little  fishing  hamlets.  a  Relations,  1654. 

3  Gen.  John  ?.  Clark.    Gen.  Clark  was  the  first  to  locate  the  Onondaga  litefl. 

4  Relations,  1654. 


THK   IROQ.UOIS   AND   THK  JESUITS.  67 

Iroquois,  and  that  the  missionaries  desired  to  come  and  in- 
struct them  in  the  faith. 

A  celebrated  Onondaga  chief  replied  for  all.  In  the 
first  place,  he  desired  to  express  his  belief  in  the  existence 
of  the  Master  of  Life,  whom  the  French  called  God;  and 
secondly,  he  insisted  on  the  missionaries  coming  among 
them,  to  instruct  them  and  be  fathers  to  them,  and  they 
would  be  obedient  children.  They,  moreover,  agreed  to 
send  young  girls  as  hostages  to  the  sisters  at  Qiiebec,  if 
a  missionary  would  return  in  autumn  and  spend  the 
winter  with  the  Iroquois.  LeMoyne  believed  that  there 
were,  at  least,  one  thousand'  Huron  Christians  in  the 
Iroquois  country  who  had  not  lest  the  faith,  and  this  fact 
alone  inspired  the  missionaries  with  the  determination  or 
going  to  that  region  and  laboring  for  these  souls,  even  at 
the  risk  of  their  lives.  As  a  proof  of  his  acceptance  of 
the  proposition  of  the  Onondaga  orator,  LeMoyne 
selected  a  site,^  and  drove  a  stake  in  the  ground  as  a 
corner  stone  for  the  future  chapel. 

Father  LeMoyne  started  on  his  return  to  Quebec, 
August  1 5,  satisfied  that  he  had  made  some  progress  to- 
wards peace,  and  rejoicing  at  the  prospect  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  new  and  promising  mission.  At  this  time 
all  the  Iroquois,  except  the  Mohawks,  were  at  war  with 
the  Fries;  and,  as  the  French  could  not  rely  on  the 
specious  promises  of  their  newly-made  friends,  nothing 
more  was  done  until  the  following  year  towards  carrying 
out  the  provisions  of  peace,  or  the  formation  of  the 
mission.  -— ■  — -  --- -'^---  -'^   ■  — ,....-.■..-.-■ -^ .-- 

Whilst  the  Mohawks  were  negotiating  for  peace 
with  the  French,  they  continued  their  savage  warfare 
upon  all  the  Indians  who  came  to  trade  at  the  French 

I  ReUtions,  1654.  a  It  w«s  nut  on  this  site  that  St.  Mary's  was  built. 


08 


FRIENDLY  VISIT  TO  THK  MOHAWKS. 


t'V 


IP 


ill: 


towns.  The  French,  however,  were  not  in  a  position  to 
resent  these  affronts,  and  they  gladly  fostered  the 
friendly  feeling  manifested  by  these  savage  foes.  Indian 
diplomatic  etiquette  required  mutual  visits  from  repre- 
sentatives of  the  nations  negotiating  peace;  so  the 
French  felt  obliged  to  observe  this  law,  and  to  send  a 
delegate  to  the  Mohawks'  towns.  Father  LeMoyne  was 
selected  for  this  important  ofiice,  as  he  knew  the  lan- 
guage and  was  highly  esteemed  by  the  Iroquois. 

Father  LeMoyne,  twelve  Iroquois,  and  two  French, 
left  Montreal,  August  17,  1655,  on  a  friendly  visit  to  the 
Mohawks.  On  the  voyage  they  enjoyed  pleasant 
weather,  and  suffered  the  inconvenience  of  storms;  they 
paddled  peacefully  over  smooth  waters,  and  encountered 
rocks  and  falls;  they  met  with  abundance  of  game, 
and  again  were  destitute  of  food,  but  nothing  serious 
befell  them,  and  they  arrived  safely  at  the  first  Mohawk 
village  the  middle  of  September.  The  priest  was  kindly 
received,  and  presents  were  exchanged,  protesting  sin- 
cerity and  peace.  Instead  of  beginning  his  address  with 
a  song,  in  Indian  style,  Father  LeMoyne  called  upon  God 
to  witness  the  truth  of  his  words,  and  to  punish  either 
party  which  would  violate  their  solemn  pledge.  A 
Mohawk  chief  gave  a  beautiful  belt  of  6,000  beads  of 
porcelain,  arranged  to  represent  the  sun,  and  he  called 
upon  this  heavenly  orb  to  shed  its  light  upon  their  deeds, 
and  to  reveal  their  inmost  thoughts  to  the  French,  be- 
cause there  was  no  guile  in  their  hearts.  LeMoyne 
believed  they  were  treacherous,  yet  he  placed  his  life  in 
their  hands,  in  the  hope  of  promoting  peace  and  propa- 
gating the  Gospel. 

After  the  council  the  Father  started  for  the  Dutch 
settlement  at  Albany;   and  on  the  way  he  met  an  old 


THK   IROQUOIS   AND   THE  JESUITS.  60 

Huron  Christian,  who  was  very  much  delighted  with  his 
visit,  as  she  had  a  child  to  be  baptized.  LeMoyne  re- 
turned again  to  the  Mohawks  after  his  visit  to  the  Dutch ; 
and  this  time  he  had  a  slight  taste  of  the  poisonous  fruits 
of  peace  they  might  expect  from  the  Mohawks.  A  crazy 
Mohawk  ran  about  the  cabins,  shouting  that  he  must  kill 
Ondesonk;'  and  he  would  undoubtedly  have  brained  the 
Father  with  his  tomahawk  had  not  a  woman  offered  her 
dog  as  a  substitute  victim  to  his  fury. 

The  home  journey  was  made  with  great  difficulty, 
as  the  winter  season  had  begun,  and  the  danger  of  en  • 
countering  war  parties  on  the  water  routes  forced  them 
to  follow  unbeaten  paths  through  the  woods.  To  add  to 
their  discomfort  they  lost  the  trail  in  the  forest;  and  they 
wandered  about  for  many  days,  cold  and  hungry,  before 
they  found  the  path  to  Montreal. 

I  Indian  name  of  the  Father. 


^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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CHAPTER  XI. 

MISSIONS  BEGUN. 

CHAUMONOT  AND  DOBLON,  MISSIONERS  TO  THE  IROQUOIS-FAN- 
TASTIC  FAITH  IN  DREAMS-CHAUMONOT  MEETS  OLD 
FRIENDS-WARM  WELCOME-PUBLIC  MEETING-CHAUMONOT',? 
ELOQUENCE-FATHERS  BEGIN  TO  TEACH-FIRST  CHURCH  IN 
NEW  YORK  STATE-FRENCH  COLONY  AT  ONONDAGA-SITE 
FOR  NEW  CHAPEL-PROGRESS-GOSPEL  ANNOUNCED  TO  THE 
CAYUGAS- CHAPEL  BUILT  -  OPPOSITION  -  MESNARD  WITH- 
DRAWS-CHAUMONOT  BEARS  THE  GOSPEL  TO  THE  SENECAS- 
MANY  HURON  CHRISTIANS  IN  SENECA  COUNTRY-CHAU- 
MONOT  AND  MESNARD  VISIT  THE  ONEIDAS-COUNCIL  HELD- 
THE  MOHAWKS  ATTACK  CHRISTIAN  HURONS-LE  MOYNE 
VISITS  MOHAWKS-SUCCESS  AT  ONONDAGA-DANGER-WER2 
THE  IROQUOIS  SINCEREp-TREACHERY-SECRET  COUNCIL  RE- 
SOLVED TO  MASSACRE  FRENCH-PREPARING  FOR  FLIGHT- 
BANQUETING  THE  ENEMY-FLIGHT  OF  THE  FRENCH-RESULT 
OF  THE  FIRST  MISSION. 

IN  September,  1655,  a  delegation  o.  Onondagas,  repre- 
senting also  the  One'das,  the  Cayugas,  and  the  Senecas 
came  to  Quebec  to  induce  the  French  to  put  in  opera- 
tion the  proposals  agreed  on  the  preceding  year.  They 
offered,  in  the  first  place,  presents  to  the  Algonquins  and 
Hurons  to  allay  any  suspicions  which  these  ancient 
enemies  might  entertain  of  their  sincerity,  or  of  their  evil 
designs.  Then  they  requested  the  French  to  establish  a 
colony  among  them,  so  they  might  learn  the  customs  of 
the  French  and  become  one  people.  They  wanted  the 
Fathers  to  come  to  instruct  them,  so  they  might  become 

70 


•I  .■•!) 


FATHERS  JOSEPH  CHAUMONOT  AND  CLAUDE  DABLON.        71 

a  Christian  people;  and  they  also  wished  to  have  a  chapel 
erected  at  Onondaga,  which  would  be  a  central  mission 
for  the  entire  country.  The  French  agreed  to  send  two 
missionaries  to  begin  the  work,  and  Fathers  Joseph 
Chaumonot  and  Claude  Dablon  were  selected ;  the  former 
on  account  of  his  experience  and  knowledge  of  the 
language,  and  the  latter  for  his  zeal,  as  he  had  just 
arrived  from  France  and  this  would  be  his  first  work  on 
these  wild  and  hazardous  missions.  They  prepared  im- 
mediately for  their  mission,  and  left  Quebec  on  Septem- 
ber 19,  1655;  but  waited  at  Montreal  until  October  7, 
when  they  set  out  in  company  with  some  Iroquois  and 
Hurons.  They  made  slow  piogress  up  the  river,  as  their 
provisions  gave  out,  and  they  were  obliged  to  wait  for 
the  hunting  and  fishing  parties  to  supply  them  with  food. 
They  met  a  party  of  Seneca  hunters,  who  told  them  that 
their  nation  would  soon  send  an  embassy  to  Quebec  to 
ask  for  missioners. ' 

The  missionaries  had  a  very  strange  experience^  of 
Indian  life  and  belief  on  the  night  of  October  18.  They 
were  awakened  at  midnight  by  the  screams  and  wild 
yells  of  an  Iroquois  of  their  party  who  was  in  great  agony, 
and  was  suffering  from  violent  convulsions.  They  ran 
to  his  assistance,  but  he  escaped  and  threw  himself  into 
the  river.  They  dragged  him  out,  and  placed  him  near 
the  fire ;  but  he  again  broke  away,  and  said  he  must  climb 
a  tree  to  get  warm.  He  told  them  to  give  the  medicine 
they  had  prepared  for  him  to  a  bear  skin,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  do  as  he  ordered  them.  Then  he  told  them 
he  dreamed  that  a  certain  animal  which  plunges  in  the 

1  Aparty  often  Senecas  came  in  January,  1656,  and  the  richest  present  they  gave 
Was  a  request  for  the  Fathers  to  preach  the  Gospel  In  their  land.  The  chief  of  this  party 
was  killed  by  the  Mohawks. 

2  Relations  1655. 


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.urn 


72  THE  IROQIJOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

water  got  into  his  stomach,  and  he  imitated  the  animal 
to  get  rid  of  it.  Then  commenced  a  most  curious  scene. 
Every  one  of  the  score  of  Indians  began  to  shout  and 
jump  about,  beating  his  stomach  to  kill  the  animal,  imi- 
tating its  cry,  or  yelling  to  frighten  it  away ;  but  all  acted 
as  seriously  as  if  the  whole  affair  were  a  reality  and  not  a 
fantastic  dream.  The  solemn  hour  of  midnight,  and  the 
wild  forest  surroundings  added  a  sombre  hue  to  the  lu- 
dicrous scene ;  and  these  Indians  looked  and  acted  like 
demons  revelling  in  their  midnight  orgies.  The  cause  of 
all  this  commotion  fortunately  soon  felt  relieved  of  the 
presence  of  the  animal  through  the  efforts  of  his  com- 
panions, and  allowed  the  others  to  rest  after  their  suc- 
cessful yet  exhausting  labors. 

The  party  suffered  some  from  the  insufficient  supply 
of  food;  but  the  hunters  \vere  successful  in  killing  a  great 
number  of  bears,  and  at  the  Thousand  Islands  they  en- 
countered a  number  of  deer  and  wild  cows^  which  fur- 
nished abundance  of  provisions.  They  met  a  fishing 
party  at  Oswego  River,  who  received  them  with  great 
manifestations  of  joy;  and  the  Huron  Christians  flung 
themselves  on  the  neck  of  Father  Chaumonot,  whom 
they  had  known  in  their  own  land,  and  profited  by  the 
presence  of  the  Fathers  to  receive  the  sacrament  of  pen- 
ance. They^  were  kindly  welcomed  by  all  parties,  and 
especially  by  the  Christian  Hurons,  some  of  them  coming 
many  leagues  to  again  behold  their  loved  Black  Robes, 
and  receive  from  them  the  consolations  of  religion.  On 
November  5,  they  met  a  chief  who  escorted  them  to  a 
place  a  short  distance  from  Onondaga  where  the  An- 
cients awaited  their  arrival.  A  banquet  was  prepared, 
and  an  aged  chief  welcomed  them  in  the  name  of  the 

I  BufTalos,  probably.        2  Clark,  Onondaga. 


FATHER  CHAUMONOT's  ADDRESS. 


78 


four  nations,  the  Mohawks  still  remaining  obstinate; 
but  he  said  they  would  resent.  They  then  proceeded 
between  tiles  of  Indians  to  Onondaga  where  the  streets 
were  very  clean,  and  the  roofs  of  the  cabins  were  covered 
with  women  and  children  to  receive  the  strange  guests 
with  shouts  of  welcome.  In  the  evening  a  council  was 
held,  at  which  presents  were  exchanged,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries were  formally  welcomed.  Ter^.onharason,  an 
eminent  Indian  woman  of  the  nation,  who  had  dwelt 
some  time  at  Quebec,  offered  her  cabin  as  a  chapel  until 
the  Onondagas  could  fulfill  their  promise  of  erecting  a 
large  mission  house  and  chapel  for  the  Fathers.  The 
Cayuga  deputies  came  on  Sunday,'  November  14,  and 
the  next  day  a  meeting  was  held  in  a  public  place  v/here 
all  could  attend.  Father  Chaumonot  opened  the  pro- 
ceedings with  prayer,  and  delivered  a  very  impressive 
address  in  the  Huron  language,  and  in  Indian  style,  walk- 
ing back  and  forth  as  he  spoke,  and  giving  a  present* 
with  each  proposition  as  a  pledge  of  faith.  The  Father 
occupied  over  two  hours  in  delivering  the  address,  which 
was  the  first  able  presentation  of  Christianity  to  the  Iro- 
quois, and  these  Indians  listened  with  attention,  and  were 
charmed  with  his  eloquence.  The  Iroquois  commenced 
their  reply  by  singing  songs  of  welcome  to  the  French, 
whom  they  invited  to  remain  and  instruct  the  people  in 
the  faith,  giving  them  full  liberty  to  enter  their  villages 
and  their  homes,  or  wheresoever  duty  called  them.  A 
Cayuga  chief  also  made  a  speech  of  welcome,  and  gave 

I  The  Fathers  said  mass  early  in  the  morning,  and  this  was  probablv  the  first  time  that 
mass  was  said  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

3  The  wampum  belt  given  that  day  by  Chaumonot,  as  a  pledge  that  he  'voula  preach 
the  Gospel  to  them,  was  highly  prized  by  the  Iroquois,  and  is  still  preserved  among  the 
treasures  of  the  League.  Shea,  p.  350.  Gen.  Clark  gave  Shea  a  photographic  copy  of 
the  belt.    See,  also,  Powell  "  Report  of  Bureau  of  Ethnology,"  p.  335. 


--*:-- -7-. 


If-'' 


'-'.1 


Iji^V] 

f'^''is-4i' 

Sif-W'T''' 

illil' 

||';y 

^  fa 

;, 

■  -•'■ 

■' 

.    f 

.'  1 

mi 

w-il 

1 

h 

T 

Uf 

n 

i 

if 

i 

iiliifiU"'. 

!'|j|!||i[- 

iSS; 

' 

i4  THE  IR0Q.U01S  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

a  present  signifying  his  desire  to  have  the  Gospel  an- 
nounced to  his  people. 

Iroquois  Song  of  Wblcomi. 


O  blessed  land,  O  blessed  land, 
In  which  the  French  will  dwell. 

0  joy fuHldings,  joyful  tidings: 
This  is  good,  my  brother; 

Tis  well  to  hear  the  word  of  heaven.  , 

III. 

1  salute  thee,  brother. 

My  brother,  thou  art  welcome; 

Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi: 
O,  sweet  voice,  thy  voice  is  sweet; 

Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi; 
O,  sweet  voice,  thy  voice  is  sweet; 

Ai,  ai,  ai,  hi. 

IV. 

My  brother,  I  salute  thee. 

Once  again  I  salute  thee: 

Heartily  I  receive  the  Heaven  thou  teachest; 

Yes,  I  agree,  I  accept  it. 

V.  ■     ,  ^  -      ■     ,         • 

Adieu  to  war;  adieu  to  hatchet; 
Until  now  we  were  foolish. 
Henceforth  we  will  be  brothers; 
.,      y  Yes,  we  will  be  brothers  true.  / 

'■,-■'  VI. 

Now  great  peace  is  made, 

Adieu  to  war,  adieu  to  arms; 

Blessed  is  the  whole  transaction, 

Thou  adorn'st  our  cabins  with  thy  presence. 

On  Sunday,  November  24,  the  Fathers  commenced 
giving  regular  catechetical  instructions,  which  were  very 
well  attended  by  an  attentive  and  orderly  multitude  of 
Indians,  who  were  also  very  civil  and  polite  in  every  day 
life,  so  much  so  that  they  no  longer  seemed  to  be  the 
savages  they  really  were.  Although  these  Fathers  did 
not  formally  come  as  missionaries,  or  preachers  of  the 
Gospel,  but  as  ambassadors  from  the  French  to  test  the 


THE  FIRST  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK  STATE. 


16 


sincerity  of  the  Iroquois  in  seeking  peace,  and  to  learn 
their  disposition  towards  Christianity;  yet  they  did  a 
vast  amount  of  good,  baptizing'  over  four  hundred  in  a 
short  time,  and  they  paved  the  way  for  the  success  of 
future  missions. 

The  Fathers  had  constructed  a  little  bark  chapel,  * 
with  the  assistance  of  the  Indians,  and  this  first  house  of 
worship  erected  in  the  State  of  New  York,'  and  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God,  was  named  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
and  the  whole  country  was  placed  under  the  protection 
of  the  same  saint.  In  the  following  spring  the  Iroquois 
again  insisted  on  the  fulfillment  on  the  part  of  the  French 
of  the  agreement  to  establish  a  colony  at  Onondaga,  so 
Father  Dablon  started  for  Quebec  to  induce  the  Governor 
to  carry  out  this  condition  of  peace. 

The  French  feared  to  establish  this  colony,  as  they 
realized  they  would  be  placing  their  lives  in  the  hands  of 
the  treacherous  Iroquois ;  yet  they  knew  also  that  these 
revengeful  people  would  declare  war  against  them  if  they 
did  not  fulfill  their  promise.  The  Jesuits^  were  very  will- 
ing to  go,  as  they  were  ready  at  any  time  to  sacrifice 
their  lives  in  the  cause  of  their  Divine  Master;  and  they 
said  they  could  baptize  more  Iroquois  before  the  probable 
massacre  than  the  number  of  French  colonists,  and  this 
would  only  be  exchanging  perishable  bodies  for  immor- 
tal souls. 

The  Revs.  Rene  Mesnard,  Claude  Dablon,  James 
Fremin,  and  Francis  LeMercier,'  with  two  lay  brothers, 

1  Clark,  "Onondaga." 

2  Shea,  "Church  in  Colonial  Days." 

)  This  was  about  twelve  miles  from  the  lake,  two  miles  south  of  the  present  village 
of  Manlius.     Clark,  in  Hawley's  "  Early  Chapters,"  p.  23. 

4  Relations,  1657. 

5  These  early  missionaries  had  faculties  from  the  Archbishop  of  Rouen.    Shea.    Le- 
Mercier  was  superior,  and  not  Dablon  as  Shea  states. 


■>\ 


•fl-. 


■/■♦ 


'  ;•«.'. ' 


i; 


hi^i 


■\    * 


&m"' 


76 


THE  IROaUOlS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


prepared  immediately  for  this  perilous  mission;  while 
fifty  Frenchmen  under  the  lead  of  Depuis,  commander  at 
Quebec,  volunteered  to  establish  the  new  colony.  The 
little  flotilla  started  from  Quebec  May  i6,  1656,  bearing 
aloft  a  white  banner  on  which  was  inscribed  the  word 
"Jesus";  and  accompanied  by  Onondagas,  Senecas,  and 
some  Hurons  they  sailed  up  the  river,  while  the  people 
lined  the  shore  and  cheered  them  on,  amid  many  sobs  and 
siphs  of  regret,  as  they  looked  upon  them  as  certain  victims 
of  Iroquois  treachery.  They  left  Montreal  June  8 ;  and  after 
much  sufifering  they  reached  Lake  Onondaga  on  July  1 1, 
and  moved  over  the  waters  in  naval  array,  firing  their  five 
cannon  and  their  arquebuses,  forming  a  most  impressive 
sight  in  the  midst  of  the  Indian  wilderness.  The  next 
day  they  sang  mass'  and  Te  Deum,  and  took  possession 
of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  site* 
selected  by  them  was  on  the  north  shore  of  the  lake,' 
about  midway  between  either  extremity,  and  near  two 
springs,'*  one  of  salt  and  the  other  of  fresh  water.  They 
afterwards  proceeded  to  Onondaga,  the  capital,  whe^e 
they  were  received  with  such  hearty  welcome  that  Le 
Jeune  says:  "  If  the  Iroquois  should  kill  the  French  colo- 
nists I  could  not  accuse  them  of  treachery,  but  of  incon- 
stancy, so  sincere  seemed  their  manifestations  of  joy." 

Delegates  from  the  Five  Nations  assembled  at  Onon- 
daga to  hold  an  important  council  of  war,  and  to  discuss 
matters  pertaining  to  the  French  colony.     This  gave  the 

1  Thb  was  the  first  time  mass  was  sung  in  the  state. 

2  Clark,  "Onondaga." 

3  The  French  evidently  claimed  title  to  the  country  by  right  of  occupation,  as  Gov. 
DeLauzon,  in  1656,  made  a  grant  to  the  Jesuits  of  a  vast  tract  of  land,  ten  square  leagues, 
running  eastward  from  the  lake.  See  manuscript  copy  of  grant  in  St.  Mary's  College, 
Montreal. 

4  Great  numbers  of  pigeons  came  to  the  salt  springs  every  ^'ear,  and  many  rattlesnakes 
were  seen  on  the  hillsides  and  around  the  lake. 


liili 


THE  COUNCIL. 


77 


Fathers  an  excellent  opportunity  of  announcing  the 
Gospel.  The  council  opened  July  24,  and  the  French 
knelt  and  sang  the  "Veni  Creator."  Father  Chaumonot 
then  began  his  celebrated  address  by  expressions  of  grief 
for  the  loss  of  so  many  slain  in  war;  then  he  gave 
presents  to  cement  the  bonds  of  peace  between  the 
Iroquois  and  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins;  and  he  gave 
presents  to  express  the  gratitude  of  the  French  for  the 
kindly  hospitality  extended  to  them  by  their  hosts. 
Then  he  eloquently  proclaimed  the  object  of  their 
mission :  they  came  not  to  seek  wealth,  or  to  barter  for 
furs,  but  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  the  Iroquois,  and  to 
save  their  souls.  The  Fathers  left  their  pleasant  homes  to 
dwell  in  bark  cabins;  they  abandoned  wholesome  food 
for  Indian  fare,  and  they  exposed  their  lives  in  frail 
canoes,  on  a  perilous  journey,  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The 
Iroquois  had  promised  to  open  their  hearts  to  the  influences 
of  iaith.  Now  is  the  time.  Behold,  he  preaches  it. 
Then  he  told  them  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  of  the 
Incarnation,  and  of  Heaven  and  Hell,  as  the  reward  or 
punishment  for  good  or  evil  deeds.  The  Redeemer  had 
commanded  His  apostles  to  bring  His  word  to  every 
nation  and  tribe  in  the  world.  This  was  their  mission, 
and  the  Iroquois  would  be  condemned  unless  they 
believed.  ' 

The  Iroquois  were  charmed  with  the  Father's  elo- 
quence, and  gave  very  enthusiastic  expressions  of  ap- 
proval. 

At  dawn  the  next  day  the  Iroquois  again  assembled, 
and  an  eminent  chief  repeated  the  principal  points  of  ihe 
Father's  discourse  of  the  preceding  day ;  and  he  gave  a 
present  to  signify  his  desire  to  become  a  Christian. 

After  many  banquets  and  much  rejoicing  the  French 


t' 


!••  ":;iv 


•\' 


W.i\f\ 


i  i  ■  '1 

'(,1:    .'' 


t 


i!iii|ili 


mil 


78  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

returned  to  Ganentaa  to  build  their  mission  house  and 
chapel. 

The  work  of  evangelizing  the  Iroquois  must  neces- 
sarily encounter  opposition  from  a  people  who  had  never 
learned  to  appreciate  the  beauty  and  importance  of  the 
spiritual  and  supernatural  life.  The  chief  enemies  of  the 
Gospel  were  the  Pagan  Hurons,  who  said  that  misfortunes 
came  to  their  nation  along  with  the  French  and  the  faith ; 
but  the  courage  and  devotion  of  the  Fathers,  visiting  the 
sick  at  all  hours,  instructing  the  ignorant,  consoling  the 
dying,  without  any  hope  of  visible  reward,  soon  gained 
the  confidence  and  admiration  of  the  Indians,  and  many 
chiefs  and  ancients  were  to  be  found  among  their  disciples. 

As  the  missionaries  had  adopted  the  Oneidas  and 
Cayugas  as  their  children,  it  was  necessary  to  seal  this 
union  by  personal  visitation  and  presents,  which  would 
giv-  them  an  opportunity  of  announcing  the  faith.  At 
the  request'  of  the  nation  Fathers  Chaumonot  and  Mesnard 
started  for  the  Cayuga'  country,  where  they  were  the 
guests  of  Saonchiogwa,  the  chief  who  had  replied  to 
Chaum^  ^t  at  the  council  the  previous  year.  They  were 
coldly  received  at  first  on  account  of  the  prejudices  of 
the  Pagan  Hurons ;'  but  as  the  chiefs  concluded  that  their 
temporal  interests  were  involved  in  the  peace  with  the 
French,  they  resolved  to  allow  the  missionaries  to  an- 
nounce the  Gospel,  at  least,  to  their  captives  and  slaves. 

The  Fathers,  however,  soon  won  the  hearts  of  these 
people,  and  in  four  days  they  began  to  erect  the  chapel : 
and  so  many  and  such  willing  hands  were  employed  in 
the  work  that  in  two  days  the  building  was  completed, 
carpeted  with  pretty  mats,  and  adorned  with  pictures  of 
Our  Lord  and  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 


I  Hawley,  "Early  Chapters.' 
3  Mesnard,  "Relations,"  1657. 


2  For  location  of  village  see  page  16. 


FATHER   MESNARD  S  RETURN. 


7» 


Father  Mesnard  did  not  understand  the  language  of 
the  country,  which  was  a  great  obstacle  to  successful 
work,  yet  the  Indians  came  in  great  crowds  to  behold 
the  pictures;  and  they  kept  the  good  Father  busy  striving 
to  explain  their  meaning,  and  the  great  mysteries  of  faith 
with  which  they  are  associated.  Parents  soon  brought 
their  children  to  have  them  baptized,  and  the  larger  chil- 
dren, who  at  first  feared  and  shunned  the  missioner,  soon 
learned  to  love  him;  and  they  told  him  the  names,  and 
conducted  him  to  the  cabins,  of  the  sick.  He  encountered 
much  opposition  through  misrepresentations  of  his  office 
and  his  power,  which  were  industriously  circulated  by 
the  Pagan  Hurons,  and  the  Dutch  at  Albany,  who  were 
displeased  at  the  ascendancy  of  French  influence  over  the 
Iroquois. 

After  two  months  of  labor  and  danger  Father  Mes- 
nard was  called  to  Onondaga,  but  the  Cayugas  immedi- 
ately sent  a  delegation  beseeching  him  to  return.  He 
complied  with  their  request  and  was  received  with  great 
joy,  and  the  people  manifested  their  gratitude  by  greater 
willingness  to  have  the  children  and  the  sick  receive 
baptism,  and  by  a  larger  attendance  at  instructions. 

When  Father  Chaumonot  left'  Mesnard  at  Cayuga, 
he  proceeded  with  a  young  Frenchman*  along  the  Indian 
trail  to  the  Seneca  towns.  The  Seneca  country  was  more 
fertile  than  the  territory  of  the  other  Iroquois  nations,  and 
the  inhabitants  were  very  numerous,  comprising  nearly 
half  the  population  of  the  entire  league.  At  this  time 
there  were  two  large  villages  and  many  smaller  ones. 
One  of  these  villages  was  composed  entirely  of  Hurons, 
a  majority  of  them  being  Christians,  and  was  christened 

I  Relations,  1657. 

a  This  was  David  LeMoyne,  who  died  near  Lake  Cayuga  on  his  return  from  the 
Senecas. 


i)' 


1 1 


It 


I 


11^. « 


J    • 


t 

51'' 


Bi 


ill-;!  :■• 


i|i:fn 


ii 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

by  Chaumonot,  St.  Michael's.'  The  missioner  assembled 
the  ancients  of  the  principal  village,  Gannagaro,'  and  elo- 
quently addressed  them  on  the  Christian  religion,  and 
proffered  three  beautiful  presents  as  pledges  of  his  sin- 
cerity and  the  truth  of  his  words.  He  told  them  that 
neither  he  nor  his  companions  would  leave  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  of  their  own  beautiful  land,  and  N^'ould  come 
so  far,  and  endure  the  hardships  of  Indian  life,  to  teach 
falsehood.  According  to  their  custom  they  held  a  coun- 
cil, at  which  they  decided  to  accept  his  teaching,  and 
requested  him  to  remain  and  instruct  them.  He  also 
visited  the  other  villages  where  he  instructed  and  bap- 
tized some;  but  it  was  at  the  Huron  village  of  St.  Michael 
that  he  met  with  a  warm  welcome,  and  found  consola- 
tion in  the  lives  of  the  Christians  who  remained  faithful 
to  the  teachings  of  the  missionaries  during  all  the  years 
of  their  captivity.  Notwithstanding  the  bad  example  of 
the  Pagans  that  surrounded  them,  they  hastened  to  the 
missioner  to  get  absolution  for  themselves  and  baptism 
for  their  children. 

Although  the  field  seemed  inviting  and  the  prospects 
bright  of  introducing  Christianity  among  the  Senecas, 
yet  the  Fathers  were  too  few  to  supply  permanent  mis- 
sioners  to  the  different  villages;  and  as  each  of  the  four 
nations  had  formally  invited  them,  they  could  not  post- 
pone, at  least,  a  first  visit  without  offense,  so  Chaumonot 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  Seneca  country  to  hasten  to  the 
Oneidas. 

Ae  had  labored  about  two  months  among  the  Senecas 
and  the  Huron  Christians  on  this  first  visit,  baptizing 
many  children  and  some  adults ;?  and  on  his  return  to 

I  In  nonor  and  memory  of  the  Huron  Mission  of  the  same  name.  2  See  page  i8. 

3  The  great  chief,  Annonkentitaoui,  was  afflicted  with  a  cancer,  but  he  was  cured  by 
Father  Chaumonot,  and  was  baptized  and  became  a  zealous  Christian. 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  ONEIDAS, 


81 


Cayuga  he  took  Father  Mesnard  from  his  little  chapel  on 
the  banks  of  Lake  Tiehero'  to  accompany  him  on  his  visit 
to  the  Oneida  territory. 

The  journey  to  the  Oneidas  was  not  undertaken 
without  some  misgivings  on  the  part  of  the  Onondaga 
chiefs,  who  feared  that  these  people  might  prove  treach- 
erous to  their  French  guests,  and  they  tried  to  dissuade 
the  missioners  from  visiting  these  people  at  that  time,  as 
one  of  the  Oneida  warriors  had  killed  a  Huron  at  Three 
Rivers,  and  he  threatened  to  treat  the  French  ambassa- 
dors in  the  same  manner.  The  Fathers,  however,  were 
not  to  be  deterred  by  so  slight  a  danger,  ana  in  company 
with  two  Frenchmen,  and  some  Onondagas,  they  set 
out  for  their  new  mission. 

The  first  night  of  the  journey  was  spent  in  the  forest, 
and  an  Onondaga  chief  complimented  the  missioners  on 
their  courage  and  patient  suffering  of  the  hardships  of  the 
journey,  traveling  over  ice  and  snow,  and  through  water; 
but  he  told  them  to  be  of  good  heart,  as  they  could  find 
abundant  consolation  in  the  importance  of  their  mission. 
Then  he  called  on  the  manitous  of  the  place  to  protect 
them  from  harm,  and  he  addressed  the  great  and  ancient 
trees  of  the  forest;  and  besought  them  not  co  fall  and 
envelope  in  their  own  ruins  those  who  had  come  to  pre- 
vent the  ruin  of  the  land. 

The  Feast  OJ  Dreams  was  being  celebrated  when  the 
missioners  arrived  at  the  Oneida  town,  but  the  orgies 
soon  ceased,  and  the  visitors  were  Kindly  received.  The 
old  Huron  Christian  captives  joyfully  welcomed  the 
Fathers ;  and  the  Oneidas,  too,  sang  their  songs  of  wel- 
come, as  they  were  not  unmindful  of  the  difficult  journey 
the  Fathers  had  undertaken  to  visit  their  children.     On 


1^1'*, 


I  Lake  Cayuga. 


1^1 


liiifi 


h' 


82 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


the  second  day  a  council  was  held,  presents  were  ex- 
changed, and  the  Oneidas  were  formally  adopted  as 
children  of  Onontio;'  and  belts  were  given  by  the  Fathers 
as  pledges  that  they  would  preach  the  Gospel  to  them. 
The  Fathers  also  took  this  opportunity  to  explain  the  most 
important  teachings  of  Christianity,  and  exhorted  the 
Or  eidas  to  receive  the  beautiful  light  of  the  Gospel  which 
would  enlighten  their  minds.  They  instructed  two  old 
men,  and  baptized  them  and  some  sick  children;  but  the 
Onondagas  urged  the  missioners  to  return,  as  they  feared 
the  Oneidas  might  prove  treacherous  and  carry  out  the 
threat  the  young  warrior  had  made. 

The  Mohawks  were  under  the  influence  of  the  Dutch 
at  Albany,  and  had  strenuously  opposed  the  proposals  of 
peace  made  by  the  other  four  Iroquois  nations  to  the 
French;  and  they  continued  their  desultory  warfare  on 
the  Hurons,  even  killing  some  Senecas  who  had  come 
to  Quebec  with  peace  presents  for  the  Governor.* 

Early  in  May,  1656,  three  hundred  Mohawk  warriors 
descended  the  river  St.  Lawrence  in  their  canoes,  ex- 
changed presents  and  friendly  greetings  with  the  French 
at  Three  Rivers ;  and,  through  the  intervention  of  Father 
LeMoyne,  they  promised  to  return  peacefully  to  their  own 
country.  They  dispersed  in  small  bands  on  seemingly 
peaceful  pursuits,  but  in  reality  to  reunite  .it  Quebec  to 
attack  the  Huron  Christians  at  the  Isle  of  Orleans.  On 
the  night  of  May  19,  1656,  about  forty  canoes  of  Mohawk 
warriors  glided  noiselessly  over  the  waters  near  the 
Huron  settlement,  and  hiding  thdr  boats  along  the  shore, 
and  concealing  themselves  in  the  forest,  they  waited  the 
coming  of  day  to  attack  by  surprise  their  unsuspecting 

I  Indian  name  for  the  Governor  of  New  France. 
»  Relations,  1657. 


:  'T'    ! 


VI  I 


THE  HURONS  SUED  FOR  PEACE. 

Huron  foes.  The  Hurons  attended  mass,  as  usual,  on 
the  morning  of  May  20th,  and  were  returning  to  their 
homes,  or  to  their  different  avocations,  when  suddenly  the 
shrill  war-whoop  of  the  Mohawks  was  heard ;  and  before 
the  Hurons  had  time  to  prepare  for  defence  many  of  them 
were  slain,  and  a  number  of  others  were  led  captives  to 
the  homes  of  the  Iroquois.  Many  of  the  prisoners  were 
burned  at  the  stake,  and  some  of  the  better  instructed 
Christians  among  them  ended  their  lives  in  a  manner 
worthy  of  the  early  Christian  martyrs;  as  instead  of  the 
usual  death  song,  recounting  their  great  deeds  of  valor, 
they  sang  the  praises  of  God,  the  instability  of  life,  and 
the  happiness  of  Heaven  as  the  reward  for  fidelity  in  this 
world. 

The  Hurons  sued  for  peace  after  this  sudden  attack 
by  their  old  enemies;  but  the  Mohawks  would  only 
accede  to  their  request  on  condition  that  the  Hurons 
would  leave  their  homes  at  the  Isle  and  migrate  to  the 
land  of  the  Mohawks.  The  Onondagas  had  also  urged  the 
Hurons  to  dwell  with  them,  and  the  latter  feared  to  offend 
either  nation ;  so  at  a  council  they  decided  to  divide  into 
three  bands,  or  clans :  one  to  go  to  the  Mohawks,  another 
to  the  Onondagas,  and  a  third  to  remain  with  the  French. 
LeMoyne,  who  acted  as  negotiator  of  this  peace,  asked 
for  delay  until  the  following  year,  as  he  hoped  in  the 
meantime  to  visit  the  Mohawk  towns,  and  prepare  the 
way  for  the  coming  of  his  Huron  friends. 

Father  LeMoyne'  had  visited  the  Mohawks  in  1655, 
and  had  promised  to  return  the  following  year;  but, 
after  the  slaughter  of  the  Hurons  at  the  Isle  of  Orleans, 
and  the  killing  of  one  of  his  brother  Jesuits  by  the  Mo- 

I  Father  LeMoyne  visited  the  Dutch  at  Albany  and  told  them  of  the  salt  springs  at 
Onondaga;  but  these  steady  going  burghers  were  not  to  be  deceived  by  such  strange 
stories,  and  they  said  this  was  a  Jesuit  lie. 


ivVi 


I ;. 


i  . 


M 


•/■ 


gli'«  ^' 


"3 


.1-.. 


Ill 


[in  ,  ~^U.    1 

fit  :,ar  ;.• 


84  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

hawks,  he  hesitated  in  undertaking  the  journey.  As  the 
Indians,  however,  consider  the  breaking  of  a  promise  a 
breach  of  peace,  and  a  sufficient  cause  for  hostility,  he 
was  willing  to  risk  his  life  to  gain  the  friendship  of  these 
people.  He,  therefore,  visited  their  country,  and  was 
kindly  received  by  them ;  and,  after  exchanging  the  usual 
presents,  he  visited  the  Huron  Christains,  heard  their  con- 
fessions, baptized  their  children,  and  admonished  them 
to  be  firm  in  their  faith. 

The  Mohawks  had  made  efforts  to  bring  the  Hurons 
from  the  Isle  of  Orleans  to  the  Mohawk  country,  and,  in 
exchanging  presents,  Father  LeMoyne  gave  a  belt  as  a 
pledge  of  the  willingness  of  the  Governor  to  allow  the 
Hurons  to  depart.  As  the  Hurons  had  not  received  from 
the  French  the  protection  they  expected,  they  readily  con- 
sented to  migrate  to  the  Mohawk  country,  and  become 
members  of  the  Iroquois  League.  In  the  spring,  there- 
fore, of  1657,  when  another  party  of  Mohawks  came,  a 
large  party  of  Hurons  returned  with  them,  and  some 
more  followed  shortly  after  with  Father  LeMoyne.  As  all 
of  these  Hurons  were  Christians,  the  Mohawks  asked  for  a 
priest  to  accompany  this  emigrant  band,  and  to  teach  the 
Mohawks  also  the  faith  which  the  Hurons  loved  so  well. 
Father  LeMoyne  promised  to  follow  as  soon  as  his  Super- 
ior would  give  his  consent;  but,  as  the  Mohawks  had 
been  the  most  savage  and  unrelenting  foes  among  the 
Five  Nations  of  the  French  and  Hurons,  he  did  not  think 
he  could  safely  op6n  a  mission  among  these  people. 

The  Onondagas  had  also  made  overtures  to  the 
Hurons  to  become  members  of  their  nation;  and  they 
were  so  incensed  at  the  exodus  of  the  small  band  for  the 
Mohawk  country  that  they  immediately  set  out  for  Qpe- 
bec  to  force  the  remnant  at  the  Isle  to  join  their  nation. 


iiP^ 


TW 


;.■'!! 


ONONDAGAS  ATTACK  THEIR  NEW  FRIENDS. 


85 


As,  at  this  time,  there  was  a  call  for  more  laborers  in  the 
mission-fields  among  the  Iroquois ;  and  as  the  spirit  of 
peace  seemed  to  have  settled  in  the  land,  two  more 
Jesuits,  Fathers  Ragueneau,  and  Duperon,  resolved  to 
accompany  the  band  of  Hurons  to  Onondaga.  The  On- 
ondagas  were  waiting  at  Montreal  to  escort  the  Hurons 
up  the  river,  but  they  refused  to  admit  the  Fathers  into 
their  canoes.  This  boded  ill  for  the  Hurons ;  and  it  was 
the  first  intimation  of  any  hostile  tieeling  on  the  part  of 
the  Iroquois.  The  Fathers,  however,  followed  in  another 
canoe,  and  no  further  trouble  arose  until  they  reached  the 
Thousand  Islands,  when  the  Onondagas  made  a  sudden 
attack  upon  their  new  friends,  and  killed  seven  of  them. 
News  of  this  slaughter  was  brought  to  the  French,  and 
it  was  then  they  realized  the  danger  of  the  little  colony 
at  Onondaga ;  as  it  was  evident  the  Iroquois,  under  the 
cloak  of  peace,  intended  to  wreak  their  wrath  upon  their 
old  enemies. 

There  was  a  well-grounded  belief  that  the  Iroquois 
intended  at  this  time  to  massacre  the  French  colony  at 
Onondaga ;  but  all  the  Hurons  had,  fortunately,  not  left 
their  home  near  Quebec,  and  these  found  a  pretext  to 
detain  the  large  band  of  Onondagas  near  the  forts  of  the 
French  until  the  following  spring.  This  ruse  averted,  for 
a  time,  the  impending  calamity. 

In  October,  a  party  of  Oneidas  killed  three  French- 
men near  Montreal,  and  this  would,  probably,  have  been 
the  signal  for  a  general  massacre  had  the  Governor  not 
promptly  cast  into  prison  all  the  Iroquois  within  reach, 
and  held  them  as  hostag  for  the  safety  of  the  colonists 
at  Onondaga.  This  decisive  action  effectually  checked 
further  hostilities,  and  the  Governor  immediately  dis- 
patched messengers  to  Father  LeMoyne  and  to  Onon- 


1 


it. 


!r,iii 


m 


m 


!i:  !(' 


86 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  lESUlTS. 


daga,  to  warn  them  of  danger ;  but  the  Fathers  were  not 
prepared  to  leave,  and  they  labored  on,  hoping  that  their 
missions  might  be  saved. 

The  missionaries  met  with  success  in  all  the  villages 
in  which  they  labored ;  but,  it  was  at  Onondaga,  where 
two  of  the  Fatuers  were  incessantly  employed,  that  the 
best  results  of  their  work  were  visible  as  here:  "The 
divine  oifice  is  recited,  the  sacraments  ire  administered, 
and  Christian  virtues  are  practised  with  as  much  mod- 
esty, care,  and  fervor,  as  they  are  in  the  most  Catholic  and 
devout  provinces  of  Europe."'  More  than  two  hundred 
were  baptized  in  a  short  time,  and  of  this  number  five 
were  the  most  prominent  personages  of  the  village. 
"Most  of  the  children  learn  the  catechism,  most  of  the 
dying  become  Christians,  and  all  receive  us  joyfully  in 
their  cabins.  "=* 

The  frequent  visits  which  the  Iroquois  made  to  Que- 
bec, where  they  witnessed  the  beautiful  ceremonies  of 
the  Church,  or  were  made  the  recipients  of  the  kindness 
and  charity  of  the  nuns  at  the  hospital,  when  they  were 
sick,  favorably  impressed  these  Indians,  and  kindly  dis- 
posed them  towards  the  French  and  their  religion.  The 
bright  example  of  the  Christian  Hurons — coming  seventy 
or  eighty  miles  to  renew  their  fervor  by  hearing  the  word 
of  God  and  receiving  the  sacraments— had  also  its  influ- 
ence in  turning  the  thoughts  of  the  Iroquois  to  the  teach- 
ings of  Christianity.  They  were  also  quick  to  perceive 
that  the  missioners  did  not  seek  any  temporal  gain  in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  but  sacrificed  the  luxury  of  pleas- 
ant homes  in  France  to  expose  themselves  to  hardship, 
to  danger,  and  death  on  these  Indian  missions. 

The  mission  to  the  Iroquois  was  considered  the  most 

I  Relations,  1657.       2  Ibid. 


Ti.iffilir 


-n- 


CRUEL  TORTURES  FOR  EARLY  CHRISTIANS. 


Sir 


r-,  -i-i 


dangerous,  but  also  the  most  glorious  and  important  of 
all  the  fields  of  labor  of  the  Jesuits  in  New  France.  The 
Neros  and  the  Diocletians  never  invented  more  cruel  tor- 
tures for  the  early  Christians  than  those  which  these  sav- 
ages inflicted  upon  some  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers;  yet  oth(?rs 
were  ever  ready  to  take  the  places  of  the  martyred  mis 
sionaries,  never  doubting  that  God,  who  made  most 
illustrious  apostles  out  of  the  most  bitter  persecutors  of 
his  Church,  would  some  day  make  docile  deciples  out  of 
these  barbarous  foes. ' 

Many  of  the  Fathers  believed  that  the  Iroquois  had 
sinster  designs  in  asking  the  French  and  Hurons  to 
dwell  among  them,  as  these  would  materially  aid  them 
in  their  wars;  and  as  soon  as  the  Iroquois  would  be 
victorious  over  their  enemies,  and  successful  in  their  war 
with  the  Eries,  they  could  destroy  the  Hurons  and 
French. 

Others*  claim  that  the  Iroquois  were  sincere  at  first, 
but  that  they  changed  their  minds  when  they  found  that 
the  French  were  a  burden  to  them.  They  were  obliged 
to  support  the  colonists,  as  the  French  at  Quebec  were 
too  poor  to  offer  any  assistance,  and  the  colonists  them- 
selves, were  unable  to  raise  corn  and  provisions  for  their 
own  support,  but  relied  upon  the  charity  of  their  Indian 
neighbors,  who  soon  grew  tired  of  the  task  and  resolved 
to  rid  the  country  of  these  helpless  guests. 

There  are  many  reasons  for  believing  that  the  Iro- 
quois had  peaceful  but  selfish  motives  in  bringing  the 
French  and  Hurons  to  their  country.  For  three  years  the 
four  upper  nations  of  the  Iroquois  had  labored  to  bring 
the  French  and  Hurons  to  dwell  among  them.  It  is 
true   the    Mohawks    continually    opposed   their    com^ 

I  Letter  of  LeMercier  to  superior  in  France  June  6,  1656.  2  Charlevoix. 


1  *  ;.  . ! 
J    . 


V. 


^1 


il:' 


.'.•^t  i 


»  "' 


li'ijJi 


.i 


88  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

ing,  yet  they  may  have  been  actuated  by  jealousy,  or 
were  influenced  by  the  Dutch'  at  Albany.  The  ancients 
and  chiefs  desired  these  colonists,  because  the  Hurons 
increased  the  number  of  their  warriors,  and  the  French 
would  furnish  them  with  fire-arms  and  make  iron  imple- 
ments of  war,  and  the  latter  would  also  teach  them  how 
to  build  strong  forts  to  protect  them  against  the  attack 
of  their  enemies,  and  which  would  be  a  place  of  refuge 
for  the  women  and  children  when  the  warriors  were 
away  on  the  war-path  or  the  hunt.  The  common  peo- 
ple were  also  desirous  of  having  the  French  dwell 
among  them,  as  they  hoped  to  reap  some  profit  from 
their  presence  by  the  receipt  of  the  little  gifts  which  were 
so  highly  prized ;  and  they  could  also  learn  some  of  the 
arts  of  European  life.  The  Huron  Christian  captives 
stimulated,  no  doubt,  this  desire  of  seeing  the  French  by 
their  favorable  report  of  the  missioners,  whom  they  loved, 
and  of  the  Christian  religion,  to  which  they  were  so 
firmly  attached. 

The  Fathers  had  noticed  that  many  of  the  Iroquois 
acted  in  an  unfriendly  manner  towards  them,  but 
thought  that  this  might  be  the  effect  of  individual  hate 
until  an  event  occurred  which  served  to  show  them  how 
insecure  were  their  lives.  One  clan  of  the  Hurons  at  the 
Isle  of  Orleans  had  resolved  to  cast  their  lot  with  the 
Onondagas,  and  in  company  with  Fathers  Ragueneau  and 
DuPerron,*  they  left  Quebec  in  July,  1658,  for  their  new 
home,  which  many  of  them  never  reached  except  as 
slaves,  for  their  Onondaga  guides  proved  treacherous, 

I  The  English  took  New  Yoik  in  1664,  but  the  Dutch  recaptur^  it  in  1673,  and  the 
next  year  it  again  fell  into  England's  power. 

a  The  Iroquois  refused  to  take  the  Fathers  in  their  canoes,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
follow  in  another  boat;  and  this  objection  to  the  presence  of  the  Fathers  boded  ill  fo'  the 
Hurons. 


A  SECRET  COUNCIL  HELD   BY  THE  IROQUOIS.  ^^ 

and  on  August  2d,  killed  some  of  the  Huron  emigrants 
on  an  island  near  the  entrance  to  Lake  Ontario,  and  led 
the  others  captives  to  their  cantons.  On  hearing  of  this 
massacre  the  Governor  caused  all  the  Iroquois  at  Qyebec, 
Montreal,  and  Three  Rivers,  to  be  arrested  and  held  as 
hostages  for  the  safety  of  the  French  colony  at  Onondaga. 
Shortly  afterwards  three  French  were  killed  by  some 
Oneidas  near  Montreal;  and  the  Iroquois  were  only  re- 
strained from  further  acts  of  hostility  by  the  prompt 
action  of  the  Governor,  who  held  the  Iroquois  hosi:\ges 
responsible  for  the  deeds  of  their  countrymen. 

Father  Ragueneau,'  however,  thinks  that  the  Iro- 
quois induced  the  French  and  Hurons  to  leave  Quebec 
and  locate  in  their  villages  so  they  might  put  them  to 
death  when  their  victims  would  be  helpless ;  for,  although 
greatly  superior  in  numbers,  the  Iroquois  feared  the  mili- 
tary superiority  and  the  cannon  of  the  French. 

A  secret  council  was  held  by  the  Iroquois  in  Febru- 
ary, 1658,  at  which  they  resolved  to  kill  all  the  French 
in  the  country ;  but,  fortunately  for  the  colony,  they  de- 
cided to  await  the  return  of  their  young  warrio.s*  from 
Quebec,  where  they  were  detained  as  hostages  by  the 
Governor  on  account  of  the  murder  of  the  Huron  party 
the  preceding  year.  One  Iroquois  chief,  who  had  been 
converted  and  baptized,  told  the  French  of  the  decision 
of  the  Council,  and  they  made  immediate  preparations 
for  flight.  Their  carpenters  began  secretly  to  build  two 
large  flat-bottom  boats  and  four  canoes  in  the  loft  of  their 
houses;  while  the  Fathers  and  the  colonists  were  occu- 
pied in  their  daily  avocations,  as  if  they  had  no  thought 
of  impending  evil.     When  all  things  were  in  readiness, 

i  Relations,  1657. 

2  They  expected  Father  LeMoyne  would  secure  the  release  of  these  warriors,  on  his 
return  from  the  Mohawk  country. 


• 


:H.r 


fiffllllHailRilj 

't 

liiiial 

i 

90 


tHE  IROCIUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


they  adopted  a  novel  and  successful  scheme  to  effect  their 
escape  without  detection. 

A  young  Frenchman  who  had  been  adopted  by  one 
of  the  Onondaga  chiefs,  told  his  host  he  dreamt  he  would 
soon  die  unless  he  gave  a  great  banquet — one  in  which 
all  the  food  must  necessarily  be  eaten— to  the  warriors  of 
the  nation.  As  this  chief  firmly  believed  in  the  sacred 
obligation  of  fulfilling  dreams  he  readily  consented  to  the 
project;  and  the  warriors  were  perfectly  willing  to  gorge 
themselves  with  food  to  save  a  life.  A  great  supply  of 
provisions  was  gathered  for  the  feast.  The  colonists  gave 
their  pigs  and  all  they  could  spare  from  their  slender  store, 
as  they  hoped  by  treating  their  guests  sumptuously,  and 
by  their  happy  mood,  to  allay  any  suspicion  of  comtem- 
plated  flight.  When  the  guests  were  pretty  well  gorged 
with  food  they  were  induced  to  shout,  sing,  and  dance, 
with  all  their  might;  and  this  gave  some  of  the  colonists, 
who  had  silently  stolen  away  from  the  banquet  hall,  an 
opportunity  to  launch  and  load  their  boats,  and  prepare 
for  flignt.  A  few  of  the  French  kept  up  the  riot  until 
their  guests  became  wearied  or  overpowered  with  sleep, 
when  all  hastened  to  their  homes.  The  Indians,  half 
stupified  with  the  heavy  banquet,  slumbered  in  their 
cabins  long  into  the  succeeding  day,  whilst  the  mission- 
aries and  colonists  sped  on  their  adventurous  and  danger- 
ous journey  towards  Quebec. 

The  Iroquois  evidently  never  even  suspected  that 
their  intended  victims  thought  of  leaving  the  country  at 
that  early  season,  while  the  lakes  and  rivers  were  still 
filled  with  ice,  and  rapid  travel  over  land  was  impossible. 
The  first  intimation  the  Indians  had  of  their  departure 
came  very  late  the  next  day — March  21,  1658 — when 
some  of  them,  not  seeing  any  of  the  French,  nor  hearing 


THE  FRENCH  ESCAPE. 


91 


any  evidence  of  life,  entered  their  homes  only  toTind  that 
not  one  of  them  remained. 

It  was  a  struggle  between  life  and  death  with  the 
French;  and  they  put  all  their  strength  and  energy  into 
the  work  of  forcing  their  boats  through  the  floes  of  ice, 
or  cutting  a  passageway  with  their  hatchets,  guided  by 
the  dim  light  of  the  stars  or  the  flare  of  a  pine  torch,  ex- 
pecting every  moment  to  hear  the  shrill  war-hoop  of 
their  savage  enemies  in  pursuit. 

After  they  had  proceeded  about  twenty-five  miles  in 
this  manner  they  were  compelled  to  carry  on  their  shoul- 
ders their  boats,  their  baggage,  and  provisions,  for  four 
hours  through  snow,  and  slush,  and  swampy  lands,  never 
delaying  for  rest  until  the  following  evening,  when  they 
reached  Lake  Ontario.  With  fifty  miles  between  them 
and  Onondaga,  they  began  to  feel  that  their  lives  were 
safe,  and  that  they  could  take  a  few  hours  of  needed  rest 
and  sleep.  The  lake  was  covered  with  ice,  and  they  were 
again  obliged  to  use  their  hatchets  to  cut  a  passageway 
for  their  boats ;  but  they  reached  Montreal  in  safety,  with 
the  exception  of  three  of  the  party  who  were  drowned  by 
the  upsetting  of  a  canoe  in  the  rapids. 

On  this  first  mission  the  Fathers  baptized  more  than 
five  hundred  children  and  many  adults ;  they  renewed  the 
fervor  and  the  faith  of  the  Huron  Christians,  and  preached 
the  Gospel  to  all  the  Five  Nations'  of  Iroquois.  They  also 
instructed  and  baptized  more  than  four  hundred  prisoners, 
who  were  brought  to  the  Iroquois  villages,  to  be  held  as 
slaves,  or  to  be  put  to  death.  A  temporary  termination, 
•  however,  was  put  to  the  work  of  the  missionaries  among 
the  Iroquois;  yet  i^eir  labors  were  not  in  vain,  as  many 


fl 


I  Father  LeMoyne,  who  I    d  gone  to  the  Mohawk  country  in  August,  1657,  and  had 
labored  there  among  the  Hur/.is  and  captives,  was  brought  bacl<  to  Quebec  in  June,  1658. 


Illltllii' 


Mr 
14 


i: 


"m. 


92  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

through  their  efforts  were  prepared  for  a  Christian  death, 
and  many  more  were  convinced  at  heart  of  the  truth  of 
their  teaching. 


I'll 


M 


"■tS 


',1 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WAR  AND  PBACB. 

INDIAN  WARFARE-MISSIONERS  BLOCKADED-ONONDAGAS  PRO- 
POSE PEACE-LE  MOYNE  GOES  TO  ONONDAGA-COUNCIL- 
FRENCH  TOO  WEAK  TO  REFUSE  PEACE-LE  MOYNE  LABORS 
AMONG  IROQUOIS-FAITH  OF  CHRISTIAN  INDIANS-TROOPS 
ARRIVE  FROM  FRANCE-EXPEDITION  AGAINST  MOHAWKS- 
PEACE. 

PEACE  between  the  Iroquois  "nd  French  was  broken 
by  the  killing  of  three  Frenchmen  by  Oneidas  near 
Montreal,  in  October,  1657;  ^"^  the  hostilities  thus 
begun  continued,  with  slight  intermissions,  for  nearly 
ten  years. 

The  Iroquois  prowled  around  the  French  settlements 
ever  ready  to  attack  any  individual  or  small  party  of  the 
French,  or  their  Indian  allies,  when  found  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance from  the  forts;  and  although  they  made  no  con- 
certed attack  on  Three  Rivers,'  Montreal,  or  Qyebec,  yet 
they  hung  like  a  specter  of  death  over  the  colony,  obscur- 
ing the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  impeding  the  commercial 
success  of  New  France.  Nature  assisted  the  Iroquois  in 
terrifying  the  hapless  French  colonists.  A  frightful  earth- 
quake shook  the  homes  of  the  colonists  at  Montreal,  and 
the  din  and  glare  of  a  remarkable  electric  storm  added 
terrors  to  the  unusual  disturbance  of  the  elements.  The 
lowing  of  the  cattle  and  the  whistling  of  the  v/inds 

I  The  Five  Nations  intended  to  unite  their  forces  In  an  attaclc  on  Three  Rivers  in 
the  fall  of  1661.  They  had  already  captured  13  French  near  Montreal  and  killed  Rev.  Le 
MateU«. 


!  -.r-'i^ 


t 
/    i 

'.1 


;■■  'J 


:.     *1 


m 

\  i  ilia ' 


i< 


III 

'I'm 


94 


THE  IR0Q.U01S  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


seemed  to  the  distracted  inhabitants  like  human  voicet 
floating  in  the  air,  and  they  imagined  they  were  the 
voices  of  their  captive  friends  among  the  Iroquois  be- 
moaning their  lot.  In  the  flashes  of  lightning  some 
thought  they  saw  fiery  canoes  laden  with  Iroquois 
warriors  hovering  over  their  homes.  A  comet  also 
appeared,  having  a  tail  shaped  like  a  bundle  of  rods — 
an  omen  of  impending  calamity.' 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Francis  de  Laval,  first  Bishop  of  Canada, 
landed  at  Quebec,  June  i6,  1659,  and  the  missioners  were 
inspired  with  renewed  zeal  for  the  conversion  and  civiliza- 
tion of  the  Indians;  but  they  found  their  field  of  labors 
bounded  by  a  cordon  of  Iroquois  warriors.  The  Huron 
Christians,  who  had  fled  to  the  regions  around  Lake 
Superior,  asked  the  Fathers  to  come  to  them;  but  the 
rivers  were  infested  by  their  ubiquitous  enemies,  and 
numerous  and  populous  nations,  who  heard  of  the 
missioners,  desired  to  see  them,  but  the  waterways  were 
closed  by  war. 

The  Iroquois  also  prevented  these  nations  from  com- 
ing to  Three  Rivers  and  Quebec  with  their  rich  loads  of 
furs  to  exchange  them  for  the  toys  and  the  goods  of  the 
French,  and,  as  these  formed  the  chief  commerce  of  the 
country,  the  colony  suffered  greatly  from  the  stagnation  of 
trade. 

The  Hurons  and  the  Algonquins,  who  knew  well  the 
treacherous  nature  of  the  Iroquois,  told  the  French  that 
the  colony  would  never  prosper  unless  the  Iroquois  were 
destroyed.  The  French  realized  that  their  only  hope  of 
prosperity  lay  in  the  destruction  or  complete  defeat  of 
their  old  enemies;  but  as  they  were  not  sufficiently 
strong  to  attack  these  wiley  savages  in  their  own  land, 

I  Charlevoix,  "History  of  New  France,"  Vol.  in,  p.  58, 


1 


CAME  TO  SUB  FOR  PEACE. 


96 


they  appealed  to  the  king  of  France  for  aid,  as  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Church  and  of  France  required  tue  defeat  of 
these  foes. 

The  Fathers,  hovever,  believed  that  more  could  be 
obtained  by  peace  than  by  war,  and  they  were  ready  to 
grasp  any  opportunity  that  promised  there-establishment 
of  friendly  relations  between  the  Iroquois  and  the 
French. 

In  July,*  1661,  two  canoes  of  Indians  came  down 
the  river  to  Montreal,  bearing  a  white  flag  of  truce. 
They  were  Iroquois  representing  the  Onondagas  and 
Cayugas,  under  the  lead  of  the  former  host  of  Mesnard,* 
who  came  to  sue  for  peace.  They  brought  four  French 
prisoners  with  them,  and  presents  to  bring  back  the 
light  of  the  sun;  to  bring  back  the  old  love  which  existed 
between  them,  and  to  bring  back  the  Fathers  to  the 
missions  they  had  abandoned,  but  where  the  fires  were 
still  burning.  They  asked  that  one  Father,  at  least, 
should  return  with  them,  as  the  lii^es  of  twenty  French 
prisoners  depended  upon  his  presence. 

They  wanted  the  sisters  also  to  come,  to  establish  an 
hospital  for  the  care  of  the  sick,  and  a  convent  for  the 
education  of  their  daughters.  They  were  no  longer,  they 
said,  savages,  but  Christians;  as  there  were  more  Chris- 
tians than  Pagans  at  Onondaga,  where  one  of  their  princi- 
pal chiefs  rang  the  bell  every  morning  to  call  the  Chris- 
tians to  prayers.  The  F:  ench,  however,  were  not  will- 
ing to  entertain  any  proposition  of  peace  until  they  con- 
sulted the  Governor  at  Quebec;  but  Father  LeMoyne  was 
prepared  to  risk  his  life  in  the  interests  of  harmony  and 
religion,  and  he  returned  to  Onondaga  with  the  Iroquois, 

I  Relations,  1661. 

a  Mesnard,  first  to  bring  the  light  of  faith  to  the  Cayugas,  died  in  the  forest  on  the 
Ottawa  Mission,  in  August,  166a. 


^•■tl/ 


I  ■•'• 


96 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Ill 


■$\ 


iis  ]:/!!; ; 


where  he  was  received  with  great  joy  and  hearty  wel- 
come. The  people  turned  out  in  great  numbers  to  greet 
him;  they  loaded  him  with  presents,  and  formed  an 
escort  to  conduct  him  to  the  town .  Here  the  women 
and  children  had  climbed  to  the  roofs  of  their  cabins,  and 
into  the  trees,  to  gaze  upon  the  fearless  Black  Robe,  who 
did  not  hesitate  to  endanger  his  life  to  ransom  his  country- 
men, and  who  now  marched  through  their  streets  crying 
out  his  mission  as  embassador  of  the  French.  The  cele- 
brated chief,  Garakontie, '  came  forth  to  receive  him,  oflFer- 
ing  him  the  hospitality  of  his  own  home,  which  he  pro- 
posed to  convert  into  a  chapel  for  the  celebration  of  divine 
service. 

The  Ancients  invited  the  representatives  of  the  Five 
Nations  to  meet  Father  LeMoyne  at  Onondaga,  and  listen 
to  the  message  he  brought  from  the  Governor  of  the 
French.  The  delegates  met  in  the  cabin  of  Garakontie  on 
August  12;  and  Father  LeMoyne  gave  them  presents  to 
restore  peace,  to  exchange  prisoners,  and  to  encourage 
the  Senecas  and  Cayugas  to  visit  Quebec  on  a  friendly 
mission.  He  also  spoke  to  them  about  the  truths  of 
Christianity,  and  they  seemed  pleased  with  his  proposi- 
tions and  his  address. 

The  presence  of  this  holy  missioner  was  very  con- 
soling to  the  French  captives,  as  well  as  to  the  many 
Huron  and  Iroquois  Christians;  and  many  of  them  as- 
sembled in  Garakontie's  chapel  before  the  break  of  day  to 

I  Csrakontie  was  the  friend  and  protector  of  the  French  captive*,  and  h«  had  about 
twenty  at  hit  home  at  this  time,  whom  he  rescued  from  the  fire  through  his  pleadings  and 
his  presents,  or  purchased  them  from  their  masters  with  costly  gifts.  Although  at  this 
time  he  was  not  a  Christian,  yet  he  assembled  the  Christian  captives  at  the  sound  of  the 
bell  in  his  c  ibin  for  morning  and  evening  prayers;  and  on  Sunday  he  prepared  some  littl* 
feast  for  thim  to  Iceep  them  faithful  to  their  duty  and  oflTset  the  bad  example  of  the  Pagans. 
He  purchased  a  rrucifix  that  had  been  stolen  by  the  Mohawks,  as  he  knew  they  would  pro- 
fane it,  and  placed  it  in  the  little  chapel  he  liad  adorned  for  the  Christians  at  Onondaga. 


RICH  GIFTS  FOR  ONONTIO. 


97 


hear  mass,  and  they  came  again  at  evening  to  listen  to 
instructions  and  to  recite  the  evening  prayer. 

About  the  middle  of  September  Garakontie  set  out 
for  Qyebec  with  some  Onondagas  and  Senecas,  and  nine 
French  captives,  with  rich  gir*s  for  Onontio, '  and  with  an 
earnest  desire  of  procuring  peace.*  At  the  meeting  with 
the  Governor,  Garakontie  gave  one  present  to  represent 
the  liberation  of  the  French  captives;  he  gave  another, 
representing  the  keys  of  the  towns  of  the  Onondagas, 
the  Cayugas,  and  the  Senecas,  giving  the  freedom  of 
these  towns  to  the  Fathers  so  they  might  restore  the 
churches  that  had  fallen  to  ruins,  and  assemble  the  con- 
gregations that  were  scattered;  and  he  gave  another 
present,  inviting  the  French  to  come  and  dwell  among  the 
Iroquois  in  large  numbers,  to  establish  Christianity  among 
these  three  nations  that  they  might  be  united  with  the 
French  in  the  firm  bonds  of  permanent  peace. 

Although  the  Onondagas  had  often  allured  the  French 
into  danger  by  their  protestations  of  peace;  and  although 
they  may  have  come  with  the  Senecas  on  this  occasion 
to  obtain  the  aid  of  French  arms  against  the  powerful 
Andastes,  yet  the  French  were  too  weak  to  reject  an 
alliance  which  offered  even  temporary  peace  with  these 
powerful  nations.  The  French  had  only  about  five  hun- 
dred soldiers,  whilst  the  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  and 
Senecas,  could  send  out,  at  least,  fifteen  hundred  warriors 
against  their  enemies;  and  the  French  colony  was  sur- 
rounded by  other  unfriendly  Indian  tribes,  such  as  the 
Mohigans,  and  the  Abnakis,  who  might  unite  with  the 
Iroquois  against  the  French  in  the  event  of  war.    The 

I  The  Governor. 

3  On  the  way  they  m^X  »  band  of  Onondagas  returning  from  Montreal  where  their 
;hlef,  Orreowati,  had  killed  Father  LeMaistre.  This  murder  discouraged  many  of  the 
delegates,  and  they  returned  to  their  homes. 


i    1-i 


■A  A 


M'-'A 


mMm 


98 


THE  IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Mohawks'  and  the  Oneidas  would  not  join  the  other  Iro- 
quois nations  in  the  proposals  of  peace,  but  they  were 
not  so  much  to  be  feared  if  peace  could  be  established 
with  the  latter;  and  the  French  hoped  to  reduce  them  to 
subjection  as  soon  as  reinforcements  arrived  from  France. 

The  Fathers  also  hoped  to  establish  extensive  missions 
among  the  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  and  Senecas,  as  soon  as 
they  could  safely  visit  these  nations ;  as  there  were  already 
many  Christians  among  them,  and  many  others  were  well 
disposed  towards  the  Faith. 

LeMoyne  came  principally  to  save  some  French 
prisoners,  but  he  found  the  Christian  Indians  so  anxious  to 
receive  his  ministrations  that  he  prr'  ged  his  visit  into 
the  following  summer. 

The  Christian  Hurons  and  Iroquois  came  from  Oneida, 
and  Cayuga^  under  the  pretext  of  trading,  in  order  to 
receive  the  sacraments;  and  as  the  missionary  had  full 
liberty  to  mingle  with  the  people,  he  was  kept  busy  at- 
tending to  their  spiritual  wants.  He  visited  Cayuga^  and 
remained  four  or  five  weeks  among  the  Christian  Hurons 
and  Iroquois,  who  were  delighted  with  his  visit,  and 
profited  by  his  presence  by  receiving  the  sacraments. 
He  baptized  about  two  hundred  during  the  year  he  re- 
mained in  the  country ;  and  he  found  that  the  Christians 
were  generally  firm  in  their  faith,  even  in  the  midst  of  perse- 
cution. Garakontie  secured  the  release  of  eighteen  French 
captives,  and  with  these  Father  LeMoyne  returned  to 
Montreal  in  August,  1662,  after  an  absence  of  more  than 
a  year.     His  visit  to  Onondaga  averted  war  for  the  time, 

1  The  Mohawks  were  then  at  war  with  the  Mohigans,  but  peace  was  soon  declared. 
The  upper  cantons  were  also  successful  in  their  war  with  the  Andastes,  and  extended  their 
conquests  as  far  south  as  the  Spanish  Colony  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Charlevoix. 

2  He  was  invited  to  Cayuga,  and  very  kindly  received  by  some  of  the  chiefs,  on  ac- 
count of  the  insolent  attack  made  on  his  person,  and  on  the  chapel,  by  some  drunken 
Onondagas. 


.    •.'!,   I 


.1'     I 


\i  ■ 


GARAKONTIE  AT  ONONDAGA. 


99 

till 


and  it  gave  the  French  farmers  an   opportunity  to 
their  fields. 

During  these  years  of  warfare  the  Christians  in  the 
Iroquois  country,  though  deprived  of  missionaries,  en- 
livened their  faith  by  prayers.  T'lere  were  French  pris- 
oners who  raised  their  mutilated  and  fingerless  hands  to 
God  in  prayer ;  there  were  Huron  captives  who  proclaim- 
ed the  name  and  faith  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  there  were 
Iroquois  preachers,  as  well  as  persecutors  of  the  Faith. 
Garakontie  at  Onondaga,  though  not  yet  baptized,  as- 
sembled the  Christians  by  the  sound  of  the  bell  every 
morning  and  evening  for  prayers;  and  he  frequently  in- 
vited them  to  some  banquet  or  feast  to  encourage  them 
in  the  practice  of  their  religious  duties.  Some  of  the 
women  often  met  at  the  cabin  of  some  pious  Christian  i 
to  recite  the  rosary,  or  to  listen  to  a  rehearsal  of  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Jesuit  Fathers ;  and  they  brought  their  children 
to  some  prominent  Catholic  Indian  to  have  them  baptized. 
One  of  the  Huron  Christian  captives  among  the  Mohawks 
kept  account  of  the  Sundays,  so  that  the  Christians  might 
observe  the  day  by  prayer. 

Efforts  were  made  at  different  times  to  establish  friend- 
ly relations  between  the  French  and  Iroquois,  but  nothing* 
more  was  done  than  to  merely  exchange  presents. 

The  great  Garakontie  gathered  all  the  treasures  he 
could  command,  and,  with  thirty  Onondagas,  started  for 
Quebec  in  the  fall  of  1663  with  this  load  of  porcelain,  or 
shell  beads  and  belts,  the  gold  of  the  country,  to  strive  to 
appease  the  minds  of  the  French,  and  bring  back  the  light 
of  Faith  to  his  land.  A  party  of  Algonquins  met  these 
Iroquois  on  the  way,  and  killed  some,  and  led  others 
away  as  captives.  Garakontie,  however,  reached  Qyebec 
in  safety,  and  was  joyfully  welcomed.     A  treaty  of  peace 


.'  A  I. 
•'11 


!»•■ 


"1*1 


mm. 


^■''W 


liilH^ 


>  '-Lit 

>^';.,.  :: 

•1 

'1 

11 

JKi  ki 

'M^    :  i! 

11 

i|,[i| 

;-      ' 

Wi'^     1  1 

III 


!i»;it3t: 


;(!■' 


ft 

til  ■ 


100 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


was  concluded ;  which  was  the  first  formal  treaty  between 
the  French  and  Indians.'  The  French  were  not  averse 
to  these  negotiations ;  as  they  checked  the  hostility  of  the 
Iroquois,  and  gave  them  time  to  receive  aid  from  France, 
when  they  would  be  in  a  position  to  enforce  peace  with 
the  arms  of  war. 

The  long  hoped  for  aid^  from  France  came  at  last, 
and  in  June,  1665,  the  Marquis  de  Tracy  reached  Quebec 
with  a  regiment  of  French  veterans. 

The  new  Governor  began  at  once  to  strengthen  the 
position  of  the  colony  by  erecting  forts  on  the  Iroquois 
River.'  He  believed  there  could  be  no  permanent  peace 
unless  the  Iroquois  learned  to  fear  the  power  of  the 
colony;  so  he  sought  an  early  opportunity  to  send  a 
powerful  expedition  against  the  Mohawks,  the  most 
inveterate  enemies  of  the  French .  The  Senecas  and  the 
Cayugas  had  never  engaged  in  direct  warfare  against  the 
colony;  and  the  Onondagas,  under  the  leadership  of 
Garakontie,  were  well  disposed  towards  the  French. 

In  January,  1666,  De  Courcelles  led  five  hundred 
French  soldiers  on  snovv  shoes  to  the  Mohawk  villages; 
but  all  the  warriors  were  absent  on  an  expedition  against 
some  Virginia  tribes,  and  the  French  soldiers  were 
obliged  to  retrace  their  weary  way  to  Quebec  without 
striking  any  fear  into  the  hearts  of  their  Indian   enemies. 

In  September  of  the  same  year  DeTracy  led  twelve 
hundred  men  into  the  Mohawk  country;  burned  their 

1  December  13,  1663,  N.  Y.  Col.  Doc.  iii.  P.  121. 

2  Horses  were  also  sent  over  on  these  vessels,  and  the  sight  of  these  animals  excited 
the  admiration  of  the  Indians. 

3  This  was  the  Richelieu  River,  on  which  three  forts  were  erected;  one  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  another  about  forty  miles  up  the  river,  at  the  falls;  the  third,  about  ten 
miles  nearer  Lake  Champlain.  Fort  St.  Ann  was  erected  the  following  year,  on  an  island 
«t  the  north  end  Qf  Lake  Champlain. 


.*"     ! 


TROOPS  ARRIVE  FROM  FRANCE. 


101 


villages,'  destroyed  their  provisions,  sang  Te  Deum,  and 
erected  a  cross  on  the  site  of  the  principal  village,  as  a 
reminder  of  the  power  of  the  French  and  the  importance 
of  Christianity. 

The  warlike  spirit  of  the  Mohawks  was  thoroughly 
subdued,  and  they  came  the  following  summer  to  Quebec, 
humbly  suing  for  peace,  and  asking  for  missionaries  to 
teach  them  the  truths  of  Christianity.  The  other  nations, 
also,  soon  sent  delegations  with  proposals  of  peace,  and 
asked  for  missionaries  tu  come  to  their  homes  and  in- 
struct them;  but  the  Governor  would  not  allow  the 
Fathers  to  depart  until  the  Iroquois  gave  hostages  for 
each  one,  to  secure  their  lives  against  the  inconstancy,  or 
treachery,  of  these  unreliable  Indians. 

I  The  act  of  possession  mentions  five  villages.    The  cabins  were  neat    and  well 
built,  and  were  very  long,  some  being  120  feet  in  length.    All  the  cabins  were  burned. 


V 


.■«i. 


r 


1 


■  !»■ 


.■i^ 


"jr 


lil'siS 


m 


ivi  :l 


.  ■  !? 


CHAPTER  XIII.  - 

NEW  MISSIONS. 

BLESSINGS  OF  PEACE-MISSION  JOURNEY  TO  THE  FROQ.UOIS-IN- 
DIAN  OFFERING  TO  INVISIBLE  PEOPLE-VISIT  TO  THE  MO- 
HAWKS-COUNCIL-CHAPEL BUILT-HURON  FIDELITY-CHAPEL 
BUILT  AT  ONEIDA-GARNIER  VISITS  ONONDAGA-GARAKONTIE 
ASSISTS-CARHEIL  VISITS  CAYUGA-CHAPEL  BUILT-FEW  CON- 
VERTS-FREMIN  VISITS  THE  SENECAS-CHAPEL  BUILT-CHRIS- 
TIAN  HURON  CAPTIVES-DAILY  ROUTINE-INSTRUCTING  CAP- 
TIVES AT  THE  STAKE-DIFFICULTIES. 

PEACE  and  the  presence  of  so  many  French  soldiers 
brought  a  feeling  of  security  to  the  colonists,  and 
they  began  to  settle  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, to  till  the  soil,  to  hunt,  and  fish;  but  one  of  the 
greatest  blessings  of  peace  was  the  renewal  of  the 
Iroquois  missions,  where  six  Fathers  were  soon  em- 
ployed among  the  different  nations. 

The  Mohawks  and  the  Oneidas  had  sent  deputies  to 
Quebec  to  cement  the  bonds  of  peace,  and  to  ask  priests 
to  come  to  their  homes  to  instruct  their  people.  Father 
LeMoyne  had  prepared  the  minds  of  the  Mohawks  for 
the  teachings  of  Christianity  on  his  various  visits  to  these 
people,  and  now  three  Fathers  were  ready  to  establish 
missions  among  them. 

Fathers  Pierron,  Fremin,  and  Bruyas,  left  Quebec  n 
July,  1667,  for  the  Iroquois  country  with  a  party  of  Mo- 
hawk and  Oneida  warriors.  They  were  delayed  about 
one  month  at  Fort  St.  Anne,  on  Lake  Champlain,  on 
account  of  a  party  of  Mohigans,  who  were  in  ambush 


I      \ 


'\^ 


I  jt 


Indian  offering  to  invisible  people. 


103 


on  the  shore  of  the  lake  awaiting  to  attack  the  Mohawks 
on  their  return  from  the  French. 

After  this  delay  the  party  proceeded  without  interrup- 
tion along  the  west  shore  of  the  lake  until  they  reached 
a  point  about  two  miles  from  the  Falls,  where  the  Fathers 
witnessed  the  observance  of  a  superstitious  custom 
peculiar  to  Indian  life.  At  this  place  the  Mohawks  gath- 
ered a  quantity  of  flint  stone  that  was  heaped  up  along 
the  shore,  and  they  threw  great  quantities  of  tobacco  into 
the  waters,  as  a  tribute  to  an  invisible  people  who  dwelt 
under  the  waters,  and  who,  in  return  for  the  tobacco, 
furnished  the  Indians  with  abundance  of  flint.  The  Mo- 
hawks said  that  these  little  people  go  to  war  in  canoes 
like  the  Indians;  and,  as  they  are  passionately  fond  of 
tobacco,  the  Mohawks  gain  their  friendsliip  by  c  gener- 
ous tribute,  and  in  return  these  people  place  large  quanti- 
ties of  flint  stone  along  the  shore.  The  effect,  however, 
which  was  produced,  according  to  the  Indian  mind  by 
mysterious  agents,  was  caused  by  the  natural  action  of  the 
waves ;  as  the  lake  was  noted  at  this  point  for  its  violent 
storms,  and,  as  flint  abounded,  the  waves  threw  up 
quantities  along  the  shore,  and  the  water  and  friction 
gave  them  a  polish  that  made  them  seem  the  work  of  in- 
telligent hands. 

The  Mohawks  had  sentinels  posted  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  from  their  town,  watching  for  another  French  in- 
vasion, and  they  were  surprised  as  well  as  pleased  to 
find  this  peaceful  band  of  missioners  instead  of  a  destroy- 
ing army. 

The  Fathers  were  received  with  every  mark  of  re- 
spect and  honor  in  Gandaouague ;  and  they  immediately 
began  their  labors  by  viciting  the  Huron  and  Algonquin 
Christian  captives,  and  adorning  a  little  chapel  where 


M 


\'.i 


104 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


they  might  assemble  them  for  morning  and  evening 
prayers.  The  Fathers  were  d  jtained  at  this  village  some 
time  by  the  Mohigans, '  who  were  then  at  war  with  the 
Mohawks,  but  their  time  was  not  spent  in  mere  waiting, 
as  they  were  kept  busy  administering  sacraments  to  the 
Christians,  and  instructing  some  Pagans. 

The  Fathers  proceeded  to  the  second'  village,  about  five 
miles  distant,  where  they  were  even  more  heartily  wel- 
comed than  at  Gandaouague ;  but  they  did  not  tarry  here, 
as  they  wished  to  reach  the  capital  of  the  nation.  The 
capital,  Tionnontoguen,  had  been  destroyed  the  preced- 
ing year  by  the  French,  but  had  been  rebuilt  about  half  a 
mile  from  its  former  location.  Here  they  were  received 
some  distance  outside  the  village  by  two  hundred  war- 
riors, who  escorted?  them  to  a  place  where  they  were 
formally  welcomed  by  an  eloquent  orator.  At  their  en- 
trance to  the  town  they  were  welcomed  by  the  discharge 
of  fire-arms  from  the  cabins,  and  by  the  firing  of  two 
small  cannons  at  opposite  ends  of  the  town.  They  were 
afterwards  entertained  at  a  banquet,  in  Indian  style. 

The  feast  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Septem- 
ber 14,  was  selected  as  the  day  for  the  presentation  of 
their  gifts,  and  the  public  explanation  of  their  mission. 
The  French  opened  the  meeting  with  the  singing  of  the 
yeni  Creator,  accompanied  by  a  small  musical  instru- 
ment, which  greatly  pleased  the  Indians;  then  Father 
Fremin  addressed  the  large  assemblage  on  the  subject 
of  his  mission.  He  spoke  to  them  of  the  blessings  of 
peace  and  the  evils  of  war;  and  he  told  them  they  might 
now  reap  the  fruits  of  peace,  as  they  had  suffered  the 

I  These  were  the  Loup  Indians,  and  they  are  called  in  the  Relations  the  Mohigans. 
a  See  page  14. 

3  The  young  warriors  led  the  line;   the  Ancients  came  next,  and|the  Fathers  were  in 
the  rear,  as  this  was  the  place  of  honor  in  their  processions. 


CHAPEL  BUILT  BY  THE  MOHAWKS. 


105 


horrors  of  war  the  year  before  in  the  destruction  of  their 
town.  He  reproached  them  for  their  perfidy,  and  for 
their  barbarous  cruelty  towards  French  prisoners:  and 
he  said  that  his  mission  among  them  was  to  teach  them 
to  abandon  these  barbarities,  to  live  more  liice  human 
beings,  and  to  adopt  the  faith  and  practices  of  Christianity. 
A  Mohawk  orator  replied  in  the  name  of  the  nation, 
pledging  his  people  to  preserve  the  peace,  offering  the 
Fathers  assistance  in  building  their  chapel, '  and  releasing 
several  prisoners,  who  were  friends  of  the  French,  as  a 
proof  of  their  sincerity. 

The  chapel  was  quickly  built  by  the  willing  hands 
of  the  Mohawks,  and  was  soon  crowded  by  Iroquois, 
who  came  through  curiosity,  and  by  the  old  Huron 
Christians,  who  came  with  love  and  devotion;  as  the 
many  years  of  their  desolation  had  not  lessened  their 
fervor  nor  weakened  their  faith.  The  Fathers  found 
ample  reward  for  their  hardships  in  the  fidelity  of  these 
simple  people. 

In  one  of  the  villages  Father  Fremin  found  forty-five  of 
these  old  Huron  Christians,  and  he  was  astonished  as 
well  as  delighted  to  find  that  after  near  twenty  years  of 
captivity,  without  a  church  or  a  pastor  to  enliven  their 
faith,  they  still  preserved  all  the  attachment  for  their 
religion  which  they  manifested  in  their  old  Huron  home. 
The  Indians,  however,  have  very  retentive  memories, 
and  often  when  these  captives  were  free  from  the  drudg- 
ery of  Indian  slave  life  they  would  assemble  around  some 
friendly  fireside,  whilst  some  well  instructed  chief  would 
recount  the  teachings  of  the  Fathers  and  the  practices  of 
the  Church ;  or  some  pious  matron  would  invite  them  to 
a  retired  nook  in  the  forest  to  recite  the  rosary,    which 

\  This  mission  was  called  "St.  Mary's,"  Relations  i608. 


106 


THE   IR0Q.U01S   AND   THE  JESUITS. 


they  had  learned  from  the  sisters  at  Quebec,  or  from  the 
Jesuits  in  their  former  home.  One  pious  woman  was 
selected  to  keep  a  record  of  the  days,  so  they  could  know 
when  the  Sundays  and  holidays  approached,  to  observe 
them  in  a  religious  manner.  Father  Fremin  and  Father 
Pierron  labored  successfully  in  the  Mohawk  villages,  and 
in  three  months  they  had  received  about  fifty  persons  in- 
to the  Church:  yet  they  encountered  opposition  and 
suffered  abuse  from  the  Iroquois,  who  often  became 
deliriously  drunk  with  the  liquor  obtained  from  the  Eng- 
lish' in  exchange  for  their  furs ;  and  on  these  occasior.3 
entire  villages  became  intoxicated  and  acted  like  so 
many  demons. 

The  Rev.  James  Bruyas  left  Fathers  Fremin  and  Pierron 
at  Tionnontaguen,  and  proceeded  to  the  Oneida  Nation, 
where  he  arrived  in  September,  1667,  to  begin  the  work 
of  evangelizing  this  small  but  insolent  nation.  Here  a 
chapel  was  built  by  the  Oneidas  in  which  the  Father 
was  soon  to  say  mass,^  surrounded  by  the  few  Christians 
in  the  town.  The  missioner's  time  was  principally 
occupied  in  instructing  the  sick  and  disposing  them  for 
the  reception  of  the  sacraments ;  and  in  this  work  he  was 
ably  assisted  by  Felix,  a  well-informed  Huron,  who 
earnestly  invited  the  Oneidas  to  become  Christians.  In 
three  months  Father  Bruyas  added  fifty-two  members  to 
his  little  congregation,  and  had  bright  prospects  of  future 
success ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  proceed  cautiously  with 
adults,  who  very  reluctantly  relinquished  their  dream 
theories  and  loose  marriages  relations  for  the  stricter  dis- 
cipline of  Christianity. 

Onondaga  was  the  central  nation  of  the  Iroquois  and 

1  The  English  had  taken  possession  of  New  Holland  in  1666. 

2  Shea,  "The  Catholic  Church  in  Colpnial  Pays."  p.  285. 


m 


\n 


GARAKONTIE  S  NEW  MISSION. 


107 


.\l1 


the  capital  of  the  league;  and  here  every  year  delegates 
from  the  other  nations  assembled  to  discuss  matters  of 
state,  to  allay  any  internal  dissensions,  and  to  maintain 
the  sovereignty  of  the  league.  It  was  here  also  that  the 
Fathers  had  formed  their  first  and  most  flourishing 
church  about  ten  years  before,  and  they  longed  to  re- 
visit the  scene  of  their  former  labor  and  hasty  flight,  to 
revive  the  drooping  spirit  of  charity  and  to  relume  the 
fading  light  of  Faith.  Father  Julien  Gamier,  therefore, 
who  had  gone  to  Oneida  to  assist  Father  Bruyas,  hast- 
ened to  Onondaga,  where  he  was  most  joyfully  wel- 
comed. '  The  famous  Garakontie  soon  had  a  chapel*  ready 
for  the  Father,  and  when  he  had  provided  everything 
necessary  for  this  new  mission  he  hastened  to  Quebec, 
with  some  other  prominent  men  of  his  nation,  to  bring 
back  another  apostolic  laborer  for  this  promising  field. 
After  exchanging  presents  with  the  French,  Garakontie 
returned  to  Onondaga  in  September  with  Father  Stephen 
Carheil  and  Father  Peter  Millet. 

In  the  meantime  Father  Gamier  began  his  labors  among 
the  old  Huron  Christians,  who  formed  the  nucleus  of  his 
new  congregation.  The  first  fruit  of  this  new  mission 
shows  the  admirable  fidelity  of  the  Christians,  and  their 
firm  attachment  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church.  Father 
Gamier  visited  an  Iroquois,  who  had  been  sick  for  two 
years,  and  had  been  gradually  growing  weaker,  until,  at 
the  time  of  the  priest's  visit,  he  could  scarcely  speak;  but 
to  the  oft-repeated  questions  of  the  Father  he  finally 
answered:  "I  can  now  die  happy  since  God  has  granted 
me  the  favor  I  have  been  praying  for  so  long."  He  had 
married  a  Huron  Christian,  who  had  instructed  him   in 

I   Gamier  had  merely  gone  to  Onondaga  to  visit  the  Christians  there,  but  Garakontie 
urged  him  to  remain,  at  least  until  he  could  induce  other  Fathers  to  come  from  Quebec, 
a  The  chapel  was  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist, 


ll' 


108 


THE  IROQJUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  his  only  desire  in  life  was 
to  see  a  priest  before  death,  so  that  he  might  leave  the 
world  as  a  follower  of  Christ.  God  evidently  granted  his 
prayer,  as  he  died  the  next  day,  after  receiving  baptism 
from  Father  Gamier. 

Father  Stephen  Carheil  left  his  companion,  Father 
Millet,  at  Onondaga  to  assist  Father  Gamier,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Cayuga  villages,  about  seventy  miles 
distant.  The  Cayugas  had  never,  as  a  nation,  borne 
arms  against  the  French,  but  had  manifested  a  friendly 
feeling  towards  them,  and  a  disposition  to  accept  the 
teachings  of  the  missioners.  The  chief,  who  had  been 
the  host  of  Father  Mesnard'  ten  years  before,  came  with 
other  prominent  men  of  the  nation  to  ask  for  a  priest  to 
bring  back  the  light  of  faith  to  their  homes.  Father  Car- 
heil, accompanied  by  Father  Gamier,  reached  the  Cayuga 
nation  November  6,  1668,  and  i-nmediately  began  mis- 
sionary labors  by  instructing  and  L>aptizing  a  female  cap- 
tive slave,  who  was  that  day  burned  at  the  stake  and 
devoured  by  these  cannibals.' 

Father  Gamier'  gave  two  presents  to  the  nation — one 
to  ask  for  a  chapel,  another  to  invite  them  to  accept 
Christianity.  The  chiefs  replieri  by  two  presents,  ex- 
pressing their  acceptance  of  the  Faith,  and  their  willing- 
ness to  build  a  chapel.  The  chapel  was  ready  by  No- 
vember 9,  and  was  dedicated,  by  Father  Carheil,  to  St. 
Joseph. 

Father  Carheil    had  a  particular  reverence  for  St. 

I  Mesnard  died  on  the  Algonquin  mission  in  1661.  He  told  his  friends  before  depart- 
ing on  this  mission  that  he  would  never  return,  as  his  advanced  years,  and  his  delicate 
health,  could  not  stand  the  severity  of  Indian  missionary  life;  yet  he  would  never  be 
happy  unless  he  went  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  God. 

a  Relations  1669,  p.  12. 

3  Father  Gamier  accompanied  Father  Carheil  to  Cayuga,  and  he  also  delivered  the 
address,  as  he  was  better  versed  in  their  tongue. 


Ill 


il> 


EXPLAINING  THE  CHRISTIAN  RELIGION. 


109 


Catherine,  and  on  her  feast  day,  November  25,  many  of 
the  Cayugas  came  to  be  instructed  in  the  Faith,  so  tht 
Father  looked  upon  this  day  as  the  birthday  of  his  little 
church. 

Many  of  the  young  men  were  absent  on  war,  fish- 
ing, or  hunting  expeditions,  but  the  rumors  of  an  inva- 
sion by  their  old  enemies,  the  Andastes,  soon  gathered 
them  around  their  homes,  when  Father  Carheil  had  an 
opportunity  of  explaining  the  Christian  religion,  and  of 
gaining  their  affection  by  the  courage  he  manifested  in 
danger,  and  by  his  sympathy  for  their  cause.  He  re- 
mained on  guard  with  the  sentinels  at  night,  and  as  the 
Indians  admired  courage  they  manifested  their  gratitude 
for  his  interest  in  their  cause,  and  their  respect  for  his 
person,  at  a  public  banquet. 

The  Father  turned  their  admiration  for  his  courage 
to  good  account,  as  he  went  about  among  the  people, 
telling  them  that  good  Christians  had  no  reason  to  fear 
death.  Why  should  they  fear  ?  They  believed  in  God, 
they  loved  Him,  and  they  obeyed  Him ;  and  after  death 
they  would  be  eternally  happy  in  Heaven.  But  you,  my 
friends,  should  fear  death,  because  until  now  you  have 
not  known  God,  nor  have  you  loved  or  obeyed  Him;  and 
should  you  die  without  baptism,  without  believing  in,  or 
loving  God,  you  would  be  forever  miserable.  He  told 
the  warriors  he  would  prefer  death  to  seeing  them  die 
without  baptism ;  and,  as  this  was  the  eve  of  the  expected 
battle,  he  said  he  would  be  on  the  field  the  next  day  to 
confer  this  grace  upon  the  wounded,  who  wished  to  die 
as  Christians. 

Ambassadors  from  the  Senecas  came  to  Montreal 
November  10,  1668,  to  ask  for  priests  to  come  and  in- 
struct their  people ;  and  thoy  sent  a  beautiful  gift  to  the 


>  1*. 


no 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Governor,  as  an  evidence  of  their  good  will.  Thiey  had 
also  sent  representatives  to  Father  Fremin  in  the  Mohawk 
country,  to  induce  him  to  come  to  dwell  among  them ; 
and  as  Father  Pierron  had  returned  from  Quebec,  and  as 
there  were  many  Huron  Christians  among  the  Senecas 
Father  Fremin  left  the  Mohawk  Valley  early  in  October, 
1668,  t'^r  the  Seneca  Nation.  The  Seneca  territory  pre- 
sented a  vast  field  for  the  labors  of  the  zealous  missioners, 
as  more  than  half  of  the  population  of  the  league  dwelt 
in  the  valley  of  the  Genesee;  and  there  was  an  entire 
village'  of  Hurons  and  other  captives^  a  few  miles  south 
of  the  present  village  of  Victor,  where  there  were  many 
Christians,  who  still  preserved  the  faith  they  had  received 
in  their  old  Huron  homes,  and  who  only  needed  the 
presence  of  a  priest  to  revive  their  former  fervor. 

Father  Fremin  was  the  superior  of  all  the  Iroquois 
missions;  and  he  visited  the  scenes  of  labor  of  all  the 
other  Fathers  on  his  way  to  the  Seneca  Nation,  which  he 
reached  on  the  first  day  of  November,  and  was  received 
with  all  the  honor  which  these  people  are  accustomed  to 
bestow  upon  ambassadors  of  powerful  nations.  A  chapel 
was  soon  built,  and  a  little  congregation  of  Huron  Chris- 
tians gathered  around  their  pastor  to  renew  their  fervor 
and  to  revive  their  faith ;  but  the  great  obstacle  +0  the 
propagation  of  the  Faith  here,  as  in  the  other  nations, 
was  war;  as  then  all  the  young  men  were  absent  and  the 

I  Shea.  "The  Catholic  Church  in  Colonial  Days."  It  was  called  "Gandougarae," 
but  the  Fathers  named  it  St.  Michaels,  in  honor  of  the  old  Huron  village  of  the  same 
name. 

a  There  were  three  kinds  of  captives  among  the  Iroquois:  first,  those  captured  in 
war,  and  who  were  treated  as  slaves,  and  could  be  killed  at  will;  secondly,  those  who 
were  captured  in  war,  but  who  were  liberated  and  adopted  into  some  family;  finally, 
those  who  came  voluntarily  to  dwell  in  the  land  under  the  protection  of  the  powerful 
confederacy,  and  these  Were  enthled  to  mo%t  of  the  rights  of  the  native  Iroquois.  The 
Hurons  of  Gandougara  were  principally  of  this  third  class,  who  had  sought  the  protec- 
tion of  their  conquerors  after  the  dispersion  of  their  own  people. 


TT 


A  CHAPEL  FOR  THE  MISSIONER. 


Ill 


older  ones  would  not  engage  in  any  important  affair,  or 
listen  to  any  matter  affecting  the  life,  traditions,  and  cus- 
toms of  their  people  without  consulting  the  warriors  of 
their  race.  The  Senecas  were  then  at  war  with  the 
Ottawas,  the  Mohigans,  and  the  Andastes;  yet  Father 
Fremin  was  kept  busy  encouraging  the  Christians,  visit- 
ing and  instructing  some,  and  preparing  the  sick  for 
baptism  and  a  Christian  death.  In  four  months  he  bap- 
tised sixty  persons;  but  most  of  these  were  the  children 
of  Christian  parents,  or  sick  and  dying  Pagans. 

The  chiefs  built  a  chapel'  for  the  missioner,  and  the 
people  came  in  numbers  to  listen  to  his  teaching.  The 
Senecas  were  laboring  to  establish  peace  with  the  French, 
and  they  were  willing,  through  motives  of  policy,  to 
assist  the  Father  in  his  work ;  but  the  sorcerers  wielded 
all  their  vast  influence  to  restrain  the  people  from  living 
according  to  the  Christian  law. 

The  Father's  first  care  was  for  the  sick ;  and,  as  one 
of  the  periodic  epidemics  was  ravaging  the  towns,  he  was 
kept  busy  visiting  the  dying  to  prepare  thsm  for  a  Chris- 
tian death. 

In  such  a  large  field  the  duties  were  too  onerous  for 
one  priest,  so  Father  Gamier  came  from  Onondaga  to 
help  his  superior  minister  to  the  sick.  As  soon  as  the 
epidemic  ceased  the  Fathers  began  to  give  instructions 
in  their  humble  little  chapel ;  but  from  the  naturally  stoic 
indifference  of  the  Indian  they  could  not  tell  whether  their 
teachings  made  any  impression  upon  the  hearts  of  their 
hearers. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1668  Jesuit  priests  were 
laboring  in  each  of  the  Iroquois  nations :  in  each  nation 
there  was  an  humble  chapel  where  mass  was  said  nearly 

I   This  was  probably  at  Gandachioragou,  on  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Lima. 


!!•; 


^t' 


,•■■.!'? 


Ilh' 


3PA 


ps;, 
If 


m 


112 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


every  morning,  and  Sundays ;  and  on  the  great  festivals 
of  the  Church  tlie  mass  was  solemnized  by  the  singing 
of  hymns  by  these  rude  children  of  the  foiest;  and  in  each 
nation  there  was  a  little  congregation  of  old  Huron  Chris- 
tians and  Iroquois  converts  who  learned  the  doctrines  of 
the  Church,  and  directed  their  lives  according  to  the 
teaching  of  Christ.  The  Fathers  gave  instructions  every 
day,  and  in  some  places  twice  a  day,  to  the  children  and 
adults;  and  they  found  that  the  Indians  were  capable  of 
understanding  the  great  truths  of  Christianity. 

Father  Pierron,  among  the  Mohawks,  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  conveying  Christian  ideas  of  death  and  judg- 
ment to  the  minds  of  the  Indians  by  means  of  pictures; 
as  they  became  very  much  interested  in  those  pictorial 
representations  of  truth,  and  asked  many  questions  con- 
cerning them,  which  gave  the  Father  an  opportunity  of 
adapting  his  teaching  to  the  intelligence  of  his  hearers. 

Every  morning  after  mass  the  Fathers  went  through 
the  villages  to  visit  the  sick,  to  instruct  them,  and  to  pre- 
pare them  for  baptism  and  consequent  membership 
in  the  vast  multitudes  of  the  Church  militant.  Many  of 
the  greatest  men  among  the  Iroquois  believed  in  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Fathers,  but  they  deferred  their  conversion  to 
the  last  hour  through  fear  of  the  taunts  of  their  friends, 
or  because  they  found  difficulty  in  overcoming  the  Pagan 
vices  of  a  life-time. 

One  of  the  most  important  duties  of  the  Fathers  was 
the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  prisoners  destined  for  death. 
The  Iroquois  burned  many  of  their  prisoners  at  the  stake; 
and  their  contact  with  Europeans  had  not,  at  that  time, 
mitigated  the  cruelty  or  lessened  the  demoniac  tortures 
they  inflicted  on  their  unhappy  victims.  It  was  the  height 
of  Indian  heroism  to  bear  these  tortures  without  flinching, 


A  DICTIONARY  OF  THE  LANGUAGE. 


113 


and  to  hurl  defiance  at  their  inhuman  tormentors ;  but  the 
Jesuits  came,  teaching  the  dying  to  be  meek  and  humble, 
to  forgive  their  enemies,  and  to  prepare,  even  zt  that  last 
hour,  to  meet  their  sovereign  Judge.  Often  then,  amid 
the  roaring  of  the  flames  and  the  demoniac  yells  of  these 
savage  torturers,  might  have  been  heard  the  prayer  of 
the  victim  imploring  forgiveness  for  his  own  sins  and 
mercy  for  his  tormentors,  whilst  the  Jesuit  stood  near  to 
encourage  the  dying  Christian  to  persevere,  and  to  sug- 
gest thoughts  and  prayers  in  keeping  with  a  Christian 
death. 

The  Fathers  spent  the  evenings  in  their  little  cabins, 
preparing,  with  the  light  of  pine  knots,  a  dictionary  of 
the  language,  or  translating  their  instructions  into  the 
Indian  tongue. 

Although  many  of  ♦he  prominent  men  of  the  Iroquois 
nations  fiavored  the  teaching  of  Christiany,  yet  the 
Fathers  encountered  much  opposition ;  for  they  had  to 
contend  against  long-established  practices  that  formed  a 
part  of  the  Indian  social  and  religious  life.  The  dream 
theory,  or  the  necessity  of  fulfilling  dreams,  v/as  observed 
in  every  village;  the  medicine  men,  or  sorcerers,  pre- 
tended by  incantations  and  magic  power  to  cure  diseases, 
and  to  guide  the  weal  of  their  fellow  men;  and  very 
many  were  addicted  to  excessive  drinking  of  liquor, 
which  threatened  the  ruin  of  the  entire  league. 


■*r 


■  M 


t  i 


T" 


ij 


liLi 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THB  MISSION  /A    1669. 

PIERRON  AMOWC  THE  MOHAWKS-PIETY  OF  CHRISTIANS-EXCESSIVE 
LIQUOR  DRINKING-PIERRON  PLEADS  FOR  TEMPERANCE-MO- 
HAWK-MOHIGAN  WAR-INSTRUCTING  CAPTIVES-BRUYAS  AT 
ONEIDA  - ONEJDAS  OPPOSED  TO  CHRISTIANITY- REVIVING 
FAITH  AT  ONOND.>GA-DREAM  WORSHIP-LABORS  OF  FATHERS 
-DEATH  AT  THE  S'''AKE-CARHEIL  AT  CAYUGA-INDIAN  MEDI- 
CAL SCIENCE-CAYUGAS  DREAD  BAPTISM-BUILDING  A  GRAND 
CHAPEL  -  FATHERS  AMONG  THE  SENEGAS  -  FIRST  CHURCH 
COUNCIL-DANGER-NEW  MISSION-PROGRESS  OFCHRISTIANITY. 

FATHER  Pierron  returned  from  Quebec  October  7, 1668, 
and  took  charge  of  the  Mohawk  mission  when  Father 
Fremin  started  for  the  Seneca  nation.  There  were 
seven"  villages  of  the  Mohawks,  which  he  tried  to  visit 
each  week,  so  that  no  sick  person  would  be  deprived  of  the 
benefit  of  his  ministrations ;  but  he  found  that  one  priest 
was  insufficient  to  attend  to  the  wants  of  these  scattered 
people.  Some  of  the  well  instructed  Hurons  assisted  him 
in  teaching  Christian  doctrine  to  the  Iroquois ;  but  they 
could  not  do  all  the  work,  so  he  was  obliged  to  send  to 
Quebec  for  another  priest  to  help  him  in  his  work. 
Father  Boniface,  who  had  just  arrived  from  France,  was 
immediately  sent  to  this  promising  field. 

The  Mohawks  were  at  war,  in  1669,  with  the  numer- 
ous tribes  of  the  Mohigans,  whose  territory  extended 
from  the  Hudson  River  through  several  of  the  present 
Eastern  States  as  far  as  Quebec ;  and  many  of  the  young 

I  Relations,  1669,  p.  3.  1 14 


,VJ- 


LEARNED  THE  CHRISTIAN  LAW. 


115 


Mohawk  warriors  could  learn  but  little  Christianity,  as 
they  were  absent  from  their  homes,  roving  in  bands 
through  the  deep  forests,  and  on  the  lakes  and  rivers,  to 
attack  their  Indian  foes.'  Many  of  the  Mohawk  women, 
however,  attended  the  instructions  of  the  Fathers,  and 
some  of  them  acquired  an  extraordinary  spirit  of  piety 
and  devotion — reciting  their  rosary  several  times  a  day, 
and  saying  their  prayers  at  early  morning  before  they 
went  to  labor  in  the  fields. 

So  great  was  the  spirit  of  fervor  that  Pather  Pierron 
had  the  ceremonies  of  Holy  Week  observed  as  they  are 
in  France ;  and  the  festival  of  Easter  was  celebrated  with 
great  solemnity,  and  with  piety  and  devotion,  by  these 
new  Christians  in  their  little  bark  chapel.  =* 

Father  Pierron  translated  the  commandments  of  God 
and  several  prayers  into  rude  Iroquois  verse,  so  that  they 
would  be  indelibly  impressed  on  their  memories  by  their 
habit  of  singing.  They  not  only  learned  the  Christian 
law  but  they  observed  its  precepts,  and  gave  examples 
of  saintly  Christian  lives 

The  Europeans  brought  not  only  the  light  of  civiliza- 
tion but  also  the  curse  of  liquor  drinking  to  the  Indians; 
and  the  Mohawks  were  especially  addicted  to  this  evil,  as 
they  could  easily  barter  their  furs  with  the  neighboring 
Dutch  and  English  for  supplies  of  strong  drink.  5 

Often  when  a  large  quantity  of  liquor  was  obtained 
many  of  the  adults  of  a  village  became  intoxicated,  and  at 
such  times  the  savage  nature  of  the  Indian  asserted  itself, 
and  quarrels,  and  even  murders,  were  not  infrequent. 
The  chief  men  of  the  nation  recognized  the  ruin  that  this 
evil  was  working  among  their  people,  and,  with  the  ad- 

I  Both  the  Mohawks  and  the  Mohigans  were  then  cannibals,  and  burned  and  devoured 
one  another.        2  Relations,  1669,  p.  3.        3  Relations,  1669,  p.  4. 


^i!. 


<*i 


,  i   ! 


'•  •■1. 


itr. 


,1' 

k 


J' 


I 


116 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


vice  of  Father  Pierron,  they  sent  a  delegation  to  the 
Governor  of  the  English  colony  at  Manhattan,'  requesting 
him  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  liquors  to  the  Indians.'  Gov- 
ernor Lovelace,  in  his  reply,  praised  the  Father  for  his  zeal 
and  good  work  among  the  Indians,  but  very  diplomati- 
cally stated  that  he  had  taken  all  the  care  possible,  and 
would  continue  to  prohibit,  under  severe  penalty,  the  ex- 
cessive sale  of  liquor  to  the  Indians.  Notwithstanding 
the  disorder  reigning  through  intemperance,  and  the  op- 
position of  the  sorcerers,  the  good  missioners  continued 
to  add  members  to  their  little  flock,  and  by  the  end  of 
1669  they  had  baptized  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty; 
and  although  half  of  this  number  were  persons  in  danger 
of  deaths  yet  the  Fathers  were  effectively  preaching  the 
Gospel  among  the  Mohawks. 

The  Mohigans  continued  their  warfare  on  the  Mo- 
hawk villages,  and  at  early  dawn  on  August  18,  1669, 
about  three  hundred  of  these  warriors  from  the  sea-coast 
near  Boston,  attacked  Gandaouague;  but  after  a  spirited 
fight  the  inhabitants  succeeded  in  repelling  the  invaders. 
The  alarm  soon  spread  to  the  other  villages,  and  in  a  short 
time  a  large  band  of  Mohawk  warriors  was  in  pursuit  of 
their  flying  foes. 

Father  Pierron,  who  was  then  at  Tionnontoguen, 
immediately  hastened  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  to  com- 
fort the  wounded,  to  attend  to  their  spiritual  wants,  and 
to  instruct  and  baptize  the  captives  destined  for  the  stake. 

The  Mohawks  sped  rapidly  down  the  river  in  their 
light  canoes  until  the  gloom  of  night  was  settling  over 

I  New  York. 

a  This  was  the  first  temperance  movement  in  the  State.  Europeans  had  brought  the 
blessings  of  civilization  to  the  Indians,  but  they  also  brought  many  of  its  evils.  One  of 
the  greatest  of  these  evils  was  the  custom  of  drinking  intoxicating  liquors,  which  the 
Indians  readily  adopted,  and  which  degraded  them  lower  than  they  were  in  their  savage 
atate,  as  it  made  them  brutes. 


■^if 


THE  HOME  JOURNEY  MADE  IN  TRIUMPH. 


117 


the  land,  when  they  halted,  and  sent  scouts  ahead  to  re- 
connoiter  the  enemy's  camp.  When  they  learned  that 
the  enemy  was  strongly  intrenched,  they  made  a  grand 
detour  through  the  forest,  and  formed  an  ambush  in  a 
narrow  defile  through  which  the  Mohigans  must  pass. 
Here  they  savagely  attacked  and  repulsed  the  Mohigans ; 
and  the  battle  raged  with  varying  success  until  the  Mohi- 
gans escaped  under  cover  of  the  friendly  shades  of  the 
intervening  night. 

Father  Pierron  remained  at  Gandaouague  during  the 
battle,  but  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  Mohawk  victory  he 
hastened  to  the  scene,  though  it  was  twenty  miles  away ; 
for  some  dying  warrior  might  be  consoled  or  saved  by 
his  presence,  and  the  captives  might  be  instructed  before 
they  fell  victims  to  the  enraged  inhabitants  of  the  town. 
The  home  journey  was  made  in  triumph ;  the  Mohawks 
bore  aloft  on  poles  the  scalps  of  the  slain  Mohigans,  and 
the  captives  sang  their  death  song  of  valiant  deeds  as  they 
marched  to  their  doom.  As  they  crossed  a  brook  the 
Father  baptized  the  dying  child  of  a  female  captive,  and  he 
found  in  this  good  deed  a  sufficient  reward  for  the 
fatigue  of  the  long  journey. 

When  the  Mohawks  were  wearied  torturing  the 
prisoners,  and  gave  them  a  little  respite,  the  Father  led 
them  to  a  cabin  where  he  instructed  them  more  at  leisure, 
though  some  Mohawks  objected,  because  they  wished 
their  enemies  to  be  burned  in  Hell  as  well  as  at  the  stake. 
Father  Pierron,  however,  convinced  them  that  their  hatred 
should  not  extend  beyond  the  grave,  as  there  is  no  place 
for  enmity  in  Heaven ;  so  they  allowed  him  to  save  the 
souls  of  their  captives  whilst  they  tortured  their  bodies. 

In  the  midst  of  these  labors  Father  Pierron  received  a 
letter  from  his  superior  calling  him  to  a  conference  at 


i    '^.-■ 


•  •  tit' 

9 


118 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


¥  I  ^ 


3»    ;-'-;|:i 


Onondaga ;  and  in  ten  days  he  traveled  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles,  visiting  his  flock  scattered  through  the  six 
villages,  to  baptize  those  who  might  be  in  danger  of  death 
during  his  absence,  and  hastening  through  the  dark  and 
solitary  forests  to  meet  his  brother  priests. 

The  Oneidas  were  fierce,  and  proud,  and  the  least 
tractable  of  all  the  Iroquois  nations ;  they  were  not,  there- 
fore, well  disposed  to  accept  the  Gospel  which  taught 
them  to  be  meek  and  humble.  The  mission  was  dedicat- 
ed to  St.  Francis  Xavier,  and  it  required  all  the  zeal  and 
patience  of  another  such  saint  to  make  Christians  out  of 
these  people;  but  Father  Bruyas  felt  that  his  time  was 
not  spent  in  vain  when  he  was  able  to  baptize  the  sick 
and  dying. 

These  people  were  passionately  fond  of  life,  and 
had  recourse  to  many  superstitions  to  obtain  health  for 
their  sick ;  so  they  were  not  very  well  pleased  with  the 
teachings  of  the  missioner,  which  brought  the  thought  of 
death  so  prominently  before  their  minds.  Father  Bruyas 
daily  visited  the  cabins  to  instruct  the  sick,  and,  although 
he  met  with  rebuffs  and  insults,  especially  from  drunken 
Indians,  he  found  much  consolation  in  the  saintly  lives  of 
some  of  his  converts.  Such  fidelity  in  his  converts,  and 
the  baptism  of  the  dying,  were  the  only  reward  the  mis- 
sioner could  find  for  his  life  in  the  forest,  deprived  of  the 
comforts  of  civilization,  subsisting  on  water  and  parched 
corn,'  and  daily  in  danger  of  death. 

Onondaga  had  been  the  most  promising  of  the  first 
missions  established  among  the  Iroquois,  and  as  it  was  a 
large  town,  an'  the  capital  of  the  league,  two  Fathers, 
Rev.  Julien  Gamier  and  Rev.  Peter  Millet,  were  sent  to 
revive  the  Faith  and  the  spirit  of  piety  in  the  nation ;  but 

I  Dried  frogs  were  also  a  staple  article  of  Indian  fare. 


THE  OBSERVANCE  OF  DREAMS. 


119 


it  was  no  easy  matter  to  restore  the  fervor,  which  had 
become  almost  extinct  after  ten  years  without  a  priest  or 
pastor.  The  greatest  obstacle  to  the  propagation  of  the 
Faith  was  the  observance  of  dreams,  which  the  Ononda- 
gas  held  to  be  a  sacred  duty ;  and  as  they  attended  with 
decorum  the  Catholic  services  they  did  not  wish  to  be 
disturbed  in  their  fatuous  worship  of  d'-f  ims,  as  they 
believed  their  prosperity  and  life  depen  A  upon  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  will  of  their  maintou,  which  is  revealed  in 
dreams.  It  was  not  surprising  that  they  should  dream 
about  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  about  Heaven  or  Hell; 
but  one  of  their  old  men  dreamed  that  he  saw  men  fall- 
ing from  Heaven  with  hands  and  features  mutilated,  and 
a  little  man  appeared  to  him  and  said  that  this  was  done 
in  Heaven,  where  the  Iroquois  are  made  the  captives  and 
slaves  of  their  old  enemies,  the  Andastes. '  The  old  man's 
dream  was  discussed  in  a  public  council,  and  many,  no 
doubt,  believed  that  the  teachings  of  the  Fathers  would 
make  them  the  slaves  of  their  enemies.^  Many,  however, ' 
of  their  more  intelligent  men  were  favorably  impressed 
with  the  dignity  and  beauty  of  the  Christian  law,  and  the 
superiority  of  civilized  life  over  their  barbarous  customs.' 
The  Fathers'  time  was  occupied  in  visiting  and  in- 
structing the  sick  adults ;  in  watching  over  the  sick  child- 
ren, lest  any  one  should  die  without  baptism ;  and  in  in- 
structing the  captives  who  were  destined  for  a  cruel 
death.  The  captives  accepted  willingly  the  Christian 
law,  as  this  was  the  only  ray  of  hope  that  beamed  on 
their  desolate  state  ;  and  they  faithfully  followed  the 
instructions  of  the  Fathers,  repeating  in  their  final  hours 

1  Relations,  1669,  p.  9. 

2  Another  man  related  at  this  council  that  he  dreamt  he  was  in  Heaven,  where  he  had 
everything  his  heart  could  desire.  This  dream  neutralized  the  effect  of  the  dream  of  thg 
Pagan. 


M 


fc-'i 


t 

1 

If    •'■* 


120  THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

the  prayers  they  had  learned,  whilst  the  priests  stood  near 
to  encourage  and  console  them  in  their  dreadful  suffer- 
ings. To  attend  the  captives  in  the  time  of  torture  was 
the  most  trying  ordeal  of  the  missioner's  life.  What 
could  be  more  revolting  to  a  refined  sensitive  nature  than 
to  witness  an  innocent  fellow  being  undergoing  the  tor- 
tures of  Indian  cruelty!  To  smell  the  burning  flesh  of  an 
innocent  victim,  to  see  their  eyes  or  tongues  torn  out,  to 
behold  pieces  of  flesh  cut  from  their  living  forms,  to  gaze 
upon  the  necklace  of  heated  hatchet-heads  burning  to  the 
bone,  required  the  fortitude  of  a  martyr  and  the  self-sac- 
rice  of  a  saint.  The  torture  often  lasted  two  days  and 
two  nights ;  and  during  the  greater  part  of  this  time  the 
priest  was  present  to  instruct  the  victim,  to  console  him, 
and  to  encourage  him  to  die  in  a  Christian  manner. 

The  faithful  Hurons  at  Onondaga,  as  at  Oneida  and 
among  the  Mohawks,  had  not  forgotten  their  Christian 
education ;  and  many  of  them  gave  testimony  by  their 
lives  of  the  beauty  of  the  Christian  law.  Many  of  the 
Onondaga  converts  gave  evidence  of  singular  piety  and 
of  holy  lives,  as  they  were  led  to  imitate  the  example  of 
the  Christian  Hurons  from  the  Isle  of  Orleans. 

Father  Carheil's  little  congregation  at  Cayuga  began 
to  slowly  increase  in  numbers,  and  it  had  not  only  women 
and  children  as  members  but  some  of  the  warriors  also 
became  humble  followers  of  Christ.  Two  of  the  most 
celebrated  chiefs  at  Cayuga  attended  the  services  in  the 
chapel  and  the  instructions  of  the  Father,  for  the  purpose 
of  becoming  members  of  his  flock.  Many  learned  the 
prayers  and  the  commandments,  but  the  priest  would  not 
admit  adults  to  baptism  without  a  long  period  of  probation. 

Besides  the  town  pf  Cayuga,'  which  was  the  seat  of 

p  See  Chapter  II. 


A  PRESENT  TO  THE  CAYUGA  CHIBF.  12l 

the  mission,  there  were  two  other  villages  in  which  the 
Father  was  obliged  to  labor,  and  which  afforded  him  an 
ample  field  for  his  zeal.  These  other  towns  were  situated 
on  the  Seneca  River,  ten  and  fifteen  miles  distant  re- 
spectively from  Cayuga,  and  were  inhabited  by  Cayugas, 
and  by  captive  Hurons  and  Andastes. 

Father  Carheil  dwelt  with  the  head  chief  of  the  nation, 
and  though  this  chief  was  favorably  disposed  towards 
Christianity,  yet  he  made  the  Father  feel  that  his  presence 
was  not  desirable.  He  had  no  personal  dislike  for  Car- 
heil, but  as  he  had  journeyed  to  Quebec  to  procure  a 
particular  priest  for  his  people  he  was  too  proud  to  humbly 
accept  a  different  one  at  the  bidding  of  Garakontie.  Gara- 
kontie,  however,  was  too  good  a  Christian  to  place  any 
obstacle  to  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel;  so  he  sent  a 
present  to  the  Cayuga  chief  to  atone  for  any  unintentional 
affront. 

The  Cayugas  were  very  tenacious  of  the  customs  of 
their  country  and  the  traditions  of  their  race,  and  they 
would  not  readily  discard  the  superstitious  and  absurd 
method  of  healing  the  sick ;  so  when  Father  Carheil  re- 
fused to  gorge  himself  with  food  to  procure,  as  they 
believed,  health  for  a  sick  Indian,  they  regarded  his  action 
as  an  insult  to  the  family  of  the  invalid.  They  attended 
the  services  of  the  Church  in  large  numbers;  they  learned 
the  commandments  of  God;  and  they  learned  to  pray;  but 
as  they  did  not  molest  the  Christians  in  their  devotions, 
they  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed  in  their  sorcery  and 
superstitions. 

One  day  the  Father  entered  the  cabin  to  instruct  and 
baptize  a  dying  girl,  the  daughter  of  a  Huron  captive,  but 
she  would  not  listen  to  him.  The  father  of  the  girl,  ad- 
dressing the  priest,  said :  "You  teach  the  same  things  that 


\[vi 


'  'ii" 


:  i  :-r. 


122 


THE   IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUlTS. 


i!'i.«!.? 


Father  Brobeuf  formerly  taught  in  our  northern  home ;  and 
as  he  brought  death  upon  people  by  pouring  water  upon 
their  heads  you  wish  to  kill  us  in  the  same  manner." 
Although  the  priest  was  greatly  discouraged,  yet  he  did 
not  retire,  as  he  hoped  to  convince  these  people  of  their 
error.  Shortly  afterwards  a  sorcerer  entered  the  cabin. 
This  man  was  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Father,  and 
often  visited  the  chapel  to  learn  to  pray;  so  he  was 
ashamed  to  exercise  his  magic  uoon  the  dying  girl  in  the 
presence  of  the  priest,  and  he  merely  applied  some  simple 
remedy  which  could  give  no  offense.  The  sorcerer  only 
awaited  the  departure  of  the  Father  to  apply  his  secret  art ; 
but  as  the  latter  did  not  seem  inclined  to  leave,  he  was 
finally  for'^^d  to  go.  Tears  filled  the  eyes  of  the  Father, 
and  addressing  the  assemblage,  he  said:  "Are  you 
astonished,  my  brothers,  at  my  grief  ?  I  lovingly  hoped 
to  save  that  soul;  but  now  I  see  it  shall  suffer  eternal  loss 
— a  loss  which  you  do  not  understand,  but  which  I  know 
full  well."  Then  the  Father  retired  to  the  forest  to  seek 
consolation  in  prayer,  and  to  deplore  the  loss  of  this  soul. 
It  was  then  that  he  seemed  to  partake  of  the  grief  of  our 
Lord  in  the  Garden  over  the  loss  of  so  many  souls,  who 
through  all  ages  would  refuse  to  profit  by  His  proffered 
graces.  Whilst  in  this  deep  reverie  he  was  aroused  by 
his  host,  who  warned  him  not  to  walk  in  the  direction 
of  the  cabin  of  the  dead  girl.  He  knew  full  well  that  this 
meant  danger,  and  the  burden  of  sorrow  was  removed 
from  his  heart,  and  he  rejoiced  to  think  that  God  might 
be  pleased  to  crown  his  labors  with  a  martyr's  death. 
The  Ancients  assembled  in  council;  thei."  wise  counsels 
prevailed,  and  no  further  attempts  were  made  upon  the 
life  of  the  missioner. 

The  people  readily  learn  the  commandments,  and 


THE  NEW  CHAPEL. 


123 


they  willingly  pray  in  the  chapel  and  in  their  homes;  but 
they  have  a  horror  of  baptism,  as  they  believe  it  is  inti- 
mately associated  with  misfortune  or  death. 

Rene,  the  companion  of  Father  Carheil,  was  this  year 
engaged  in  erecting  a  larger  and  a  handsomer  chapel,  as 
the  little  chapel  first  built  was  not  capable  of  containing 
the  crowds  that  came  for  instruction.  This  new  chapel 
was  to  be  built  in  the  style  of  European  churches,  but 
with  the  bark  roof  of  the  Indian  chapel.  Besides 
carpentry,  Rene  had  a  knowledge  of  medicine;  and  as  he 
was  kind  and  affable  to  the  Indians  he  was  a  great  help 
to  the  missioner,  and  by  prescribing  natural  remedies  for 
the  sick  he  did  much  to  convince  the  Cayugas  of  their 
folly  in  having  recourse  to  the  sorcerers  and  medicine 
men  to  be  cured  of  their  ills. 

Father  Fremin  did  not  send  any  account  of  his  mis- 
sion work  this  year  to  the  superior  at  Quebec,  but  from 
other  sources  it  appears  he  met  with  the  same  success 
and  opposition  as  the  Fathers  in  the  other  nations.  The 
people  came  in  crowds  to  listen  to  the  instructions,  and 
to  learn  to  pray;  but  the  Fathers  were  not  convinced  that 
the  adults  were  prepared  for  admission  to  the  Church. 
The  sorcerers  advised  the  people  not  to  abandon  their 
ancient  customs,  and  the  young  men  were  so  busy  pre- 
paring for  war  with  the  Algonquins  that  they  could  give 
but  little  attention  to  the  Fathers. 

Father  AUouez,  who  was  laboring  among  the  Ottawa 
Algonquins,  brought  three  Iroquois  prisoners  to  Quebec 
to  be  restored  to  their  homes;  and  this  kindly  act  tended 
to  avert  the  impending  war  between  these  two  nations. 
The  Senecas,  however,  had  powerful  enemies  in  the 
Mohigans  and  the  Andastes;  and  the  strife  with  these 
made  them  more  peaceably  disposed  towards  the  French, 


M.. 


'!>: 


ilSf 


Wn: 


it' 


%' 


Iff^' 


124 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


and  more  willing  to  assist  the  Fathers  in  their  work. 

The  Fathers  made  their  home  in  one  of  the  western 
villages;'  and  from  this  place  they  occasionally  visited 
the  other  towns  until  they  returned  from  the  conference  at 
Onondaga,  when  Father  Fremin  went  to  dwell  at  Gandou- 
garae. 

Early  in  August  Father  Fremin  started  for  the  Cayuga 
mission,  which  he  reached  on  the  tenth  of  the  month  ;^ 
and  from  this  place,  as  superior  of  the  Iroquois  missions, 
he  wrote  to  the  Fathers  laboring  in  the  different  nations 
to  assemble  at  Onondaga  for  a  conference'  on  tneir  labors, 
and  for  a  spiritual  retreat  for  themselves.  Father  Carheii 
shortly  afterward  accompanied  his  superior  to  Onondaga, 
where  they  arrived  August  ao;  and  Father  Fremin  had 
leisure  to  examine  his  old  mission^  before  the  arrival  of  the 
other  missioners.  -   : 

All  the  Fathers  had  reached  Onondaga  by  August 
26,  1669,  and  they  then  spent  a  week  in  conference  over 
their  work,  and  in  preparation  and  prayer  for  further  suc- 
cess. As  they  were  about  to  separate,  to  journey  to  their 
missions,  word  was  brought  of  the  killing  by  the  French 
of  sevei.  Oneidas  and  one  Seneca,  near  Montreal.  This 
news  caused  a  great  commotion  at  Onondaga;  and  con- 

I  Most  probably  Gandachioragou,  where  there  was  a  chapel.    See  chapter  II. 

a  Some  historian— with  senses  keen  enough  to  perceive  evil  in  every  act  of  the  Jesuits 
— rashly  asserted  that  Father  Fremin  designedly  left  his  mission  at  this  time  to  incommode 
LaSalle,  and  many  other  writers  repeated  the  statement  without  taking  the  trouble  to  in- 
vestigate its  truth.  Marshall  and  Winsor  say  that  Fremin  left  the  Seneca  town  the  same 
day  that  LaSalle  arrived  at  Irondequoit  Bay.  Winsor,  in  his  latest  work,  "From  Cartier 
to  Frontenac,"  with  an  utter  disregard  for  dates,  says  that  Fremin  and  Gamier  left  their 
posts  August  26,  1669. 

Fremin  was  at  Cayuga  August  10,  the  day  that  LaSalle  reached  Irondequoit  Bay,  and 
ht  could  not  have  made  the  Journey  in  less  than  two  days.  Fremin  would  not  have  called 
the  Fathers  from  the  Mohawk  and  Oneida  missions  to  inconvenience  LaSalle,  nor  would  he 
have  left  his  lay  companion  among  the  Senecas  if  he  wished  to  hamper  the  explorer  in  his 
work. 

3  This  was  the  first  ecclesiastical  council  held  in  the  State. 

4  Fremin  had  been  at  Onondaga  with  the  French  colony  in  1657. 


111 


FATHER  GARNIER  ATTACKED. 


125 


^■ifi:'-!*^ 


sidering  the  revengeful  spirit  of  the  Indians,  the  Fathers 
looked  upon  themselves  as  certain  victims  of  retaliation. 
Belts,  however,  were  immediately  sent  from  Montreal  to 
allay  the  perturbed  spirit  of  the  Oneidas  and  the  Senecas, 
and  the  Fathers  were  allowed  to  depart  in  peace. 

As  Fremin  and  Gamier  were  passing  through  Gan- 
dagaro,'  the  large  eastern  Seneca  village,  on  their  return, 
a  young  warrior  savagely  attacked  Gamier,  and  threaten- 
ed to  kill  him,  and  would,  no  doubt,  have  made  good  his 
threat  had  not  others  intervened  to  save  the  missioner's 
life.  They  reached  Gandachioragou,  however,  in  safety 
the  seventh  day  of  September,  and  soon  after  Father 
Gamier  took  charge  of  this  mission. 

Father  Fremin  was  delayed  some  time  on  account  of 
sickness,  but  on  September  27,  1669,  he  started  for  Gan- 
dougarae,  where  he  was  to  make  his  future  home.  The 
old  Hurons  were  delighted  to  have  a  priest  dwell  among 
them,  and  they  even  gently  reproved  him  for  tarrying  so 
long  with  the  Pagans  of  the  western  towns  whilst  there 
were  so  many  Christians  at  Gandougarae  anxiously 
awaiting  his  coming.  The  good  Christians  began  the 
erection  of  a  pretty  little  chapel,  where  they  might  hear 
mass  and  the  Word  of  God;  and  Father  Fremin  went 
about  among  his  flock  to  learn  their  wants  and  the  con- 
dition of  his  mission.  The  chapel  was  ready  Sunday, 
November  3,  and  it  was  filled  with  Christians,  who  came 
to  revive  their  faith,  and  with  Pagans,  who  came  to  satisfy 
their  curiosity.  The  oldest  of  the  Huron  Christians  taught 
catechism,  and  the  children  vied  with  their  parents  in 
bringing  their  companions  to  pray. 

I  LaSalle  and  his  party  visited  tine  Senecas  during  the  absence  of  the  Fathers,  in  search 
of  a  guide  to  the  unknown  seas  and  lands  of  the  West.  LaSalle,  with  Galinee  and  some 
men  visited  Gandagaro,  and  remained  in  the  vicinity  some  weeks;  but  they  did  not  succeed 
In  obtaining  a  guide.  Father  Dollier  remained  with  the  rest  of  the  party  at  Irondequoit 
Bay,  where  he  said  mass  in  one  of  the  boats  as  often  as  the  weather  permitted. 


•i  Ui 


^■i 


126 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


ilMc 


It  was  not  by  the  number  of  baptisms  alone  that  the 
propagation  of  Christianity  among  these  people  could  be 
judged;  for  the  Indian  is  naturally  phlegmatic,  knowing 
well  how  to  conceal  his  thoughts;  and  often  when  they 
seemed  indifferent  to  the  teachings  of  the  Fathers  they 
were  storing  deep  in  their  hearts  the  thoughts  of  God,  of 
Heaven,  and  of  Hell,  and'  it  was  only  when  approaching 
death  brought  them  closer  to  these  that  those  thoughts 
became  acts,  and  they  manifested  an  earnest  desire  before 
leaving  this  world  to  be  consoled  by  the  presence  of  the 
priest,  and  fortified  by  the  sacraments  of  the  Church. 
All,  moreover,  had  respect  for  the  chapel;  and  even  in 
their  drunken  orgies,'  which  were  very  common,  they 
kept  away  from  the  house  of  God. 

It  could  not  be  expected  that  the  pure  and  spiritual 
doctrines  of  Christianity  would,  in  a  few  years,  take  the 
place  in  the  affections  of  these  people  of  the  carnal  vices 
they  had  practiced,  and  the  superstitions  they  had  observed 
from  time  immemorial;  yet  the  patience,  perseverance, 
and  love,  of  the  missionaries  triumphed  over  the  preju- 
dices of  the  Indians,  and  in  many  of  the  villages  every 
adult  was  sufficiently  instructed  to  receive  the  sacraments 
at  the  hour  of  death.  Many  of  them  believed,  but  did 
not  wish  to  become  Christians,  because  they  did  not 
care  to  abandon  their  vices. 

The  Fathers  had  prayers  every  morning  and  evening 
in  the  chapel,  and  instructions  at  some  convenient  hour; 
while  the  Christians  were  faithful  in  attending  church,  and 
receiving  the  sacraments  on  Sundays. 

I  These  drunken  riots  lasted  as  long  as  the  liquor,  which  they  obtained  from  the 
Dutch,  held  out— sometimes  continuing  two  weeks.    See  Relations,  1671. 


'^iiiiii 


'\]\\  \^ 


ij^ 


'.f^r- 


CHAPTER  XV: 

i 
THB  MISSIONS  Ifi  THE  YEAR  t670. 

BRIGHT  PROSPECTS-PEACE  COUNCIL  AT  QUEBEC-BAPTISM  OF  GAR- 
AKONTIE-OPPOSITION  OF  THE  DUTCH-INDIANS  DEFEND  THEIR 
FAITH-PIERRON  ASSAILS  MOHAWK  CUSTOMS-MOHAWKS  RE- 
PLY-RENOUNCE WORSHIP  OF  AGRESKOUE-DRUNKEN  REVELRY 
AT  ONEIDA-ZEAL  OF  MILLET  AT  ONONDAGA-GARAKONTIE'S 
COUNSEL-GOOD  F;FFECTS-HUR0N  CHRISTIANS-PAGAN  PREJU- 
DICES AT  CAYUG/^-DREAM(  THEORY-HURON  CHRISTIANS  OF 
GANDOUGARAE-EXAMPLES  OF  PIETY-INDIAN  IDEA  OF  HEAVEN 
•       -DREAMS. 


I 


N  writing  tiiis  year  to  the  Provincial  in  France,  Father 
LeMercier'  stated  that  the  Iroquois  missions  "never 
presented  brighter  prospects  than  at  the  present  time ; 
all  the  nations  have  chapels  and  priests ;  all  listen  with 
interest  to  the  teachings  of  the  Fathers ;  and  all  seem  to 
be  on  the  eve  of  their  Christian  regeneration."^ 

The  success  of  the  piissions  depended  upon  peaceful 
relations  between  the  Iroquois  and  French,  so  the  latter 
were  careful  to  strengthen  the  ties  of  friendship  which 
bound  them  to  their  diisky  allies ;  and  a  council  was  held 
at  Montreal  to  adjust  some  differences  existing  between 
the  Iroquois  and  Algonquins.  A  party  of  Iroquois  had 
pillaged  a  defenceless  village  of  the  Algonquins ;  and  this 
act  of  hostility  threatened  a  war,  which  would  also  in- 
volve the  French  but  for  the  wisdom  and  prompt  action  of 

1  LeMercier  was  the  superior  of  the  Jesuits  in  New  France. 

2  The  Recollects  returned  this  year  to  Canada,  and  brought  great  relief  to  the  over- 
■worked  Jesuits.  127 


frt 

\-\ 


'.lj* 

;£.-•! 


mmmmM 


128  THE  IROQUOIS   AND  THE  JESUITS. 

the  great  Garakontie  who  immediately  sent  wampum  belts 
to  the  Iroquois  nations  to  restrain  the  young  warriors 
from  further  hostile  acts,  and  to  invite  them  to  send  del- 
egates to  Montreal  where  they  would  meet  the  Algon- 
quins,  and  settle  their  difficulties  in  a  peaceful  manner 
before  the  Governor  of  the  French. 

The  Iroquois  party  reached  Montreal  about  the  same 
time  that  four  hundred  Algonquins  came  down  the  river 
for  their  annual  barter  of  furs.  The  Governor  invited  the 
Indians  to  Quebec,  and  twenty  from  each  nation  were 
selected  as  delegates  to  the  council.  They  arrived  at 
Quebec  towards  the  end  of  July,  and  three  meetings  were 
held  to  adjust  their  differences.  At  the  first  session  the 
delegates  merely  exchanged  compliments  and  kindly 
greetings.  The  next  day  the  Algonquin  orators  offered 
their  gifts,  and  eloquently  proclaimed  the  desire  of  their 
nation  to  preserve  the  peace  which  had  been  so  ruthlessly 
broken  by  the  Seneca  warriors ;  and  they  called  upon  the 
Governor  to  punish  those  who  violated  the  treaty  he  had 
sanctioned. 

The  decision  given  by  Onontio  the  next  day  was  very 
satisfactory  to  the  delegates,  who  had  assembled  to  listen 
to  the  peaceful  solution  of  questions  which  they  had  long 
sought  to  settle  by  the  scalping  knife,  or  the  tomahawk. 
He  had  ordered,  he  said,  some  Frenchmen  to  be  put  to 
death  because  they  had  broken  the  peace  by  the  mur- 
der of  three  Iroquois;  and  now  he  would  deal  in  a  similar 
manner  with  the  Senecas  who  had  given  cause  for  war 
by  their  wanton  attack  on  the  Algonquins.  Peace,  he 
said,  would  bring  prosperity  and  happiness  to  all ;  and  he 
urged  the  Indians  to  accept  the  blessings  the  missioners 
would  bring,  by  teaching  them  the  truths  of  Christianity 
and  the  customs  of  civilized  life.     An  old  Huron  chief 


iii 


y.'^ 


GARAKONTIE  RECEIVED  INTO  THE  CHURCH. 


1^9 


ity 
cf 


thanked  the  Governor  for  advancing  the  temporal  interests 
of  the  Indians,  and  for  opening  the  paths  for  the  mis- 
sioners  to  bear  the  light  of  Faith  to  distant  nations. ' 

Garakontie  then  arose,  and  delivered  an  eloquent 
oration  in  favor  of  the  Faith .  He  publiclv  prochimed  his 
bfcMef  in  Christianity,  renounced  all  Pagan  practices,  and 
expressed  a  desire  to  be  baptized.  He  had  already  asked 
in  his  own  home  to  be  received  into  the  Church,  but 
Father  Gamier  wished  to  further  test  the  sincerity  of  the 
chief;  but  on  this  occasion  he  spoke  with  such  love  and 
zeal  for  Christianity,  and  expressed  such  an  ardent  desire 
for  baptism  that  the  Bishop,  who  had  learned  of  his  good 
works  and  good  life,  resolved  to  grant  his  request,  and  to 
give  all  the  pomp  possible  to  his  solemn  baptism.  The 
Governor  of  New  France  and  the  daughter  of  the  Intend- 
ant  stood  sponsors  for  the  Indian  chief;  and  the  Bishop 
administered  the  sacrament  in  the  cathedral  of  Quebec, 
which  was  crowded  with  French  and  representatives 
from  nearly  every  Indian  tribe  in  New  France.  When  asked 
if  he  wished  to  be  baptized  he  said  he  had  long  since  de- 
sired this  grace;  and  he  returned  thanks  to  the  Bishop  for 
making  him  a  child  of  the  Church  and  an  heir  of  Heaven. 
•  He  was  afterwards  conducted  to  the  residence  of  the 
Governor,  where  he  was  received  with  firing  of  cannon 
by  the  soldiers,  and  was  entertained  at  a  grand  banquet 
given  in  his  honor.  Garakontie  was  one  of  the  greatest 
Indians  of  his  age,  and  one  of  the  wisest  and  the  most  in- 
fluential among  the  Iroquois  chiefs ;  and  his  adoption  of 
Christianity  showed  that  the  missioners  were  making  a 
deep  impression  on  the  minds  of  the  most  intelligent 
Indians. 

I  According  to  Indian  official  etiquette  it  was  not  proper  to  reply  to  any  proposition 
the  same  day  it  was  oflered,  and  the  French  observed  this  rule  in  dealing  with  Indian 
statesmen. 


him 


'iv:i 


130 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND     HE  JESUITS. 


ilii 


I    Ull 


i 


The  influence  and  actf  of  the  Dutch  retarded  the 
spread  of  Christianity  among  the  Mohawks;  as  they  not 
only  sold  large  quantities  of  intoxicating  drink  to  these 
Indians,  but  they  also  tried  to  turn  into  ridicule  the 
religious  truths  and  practices  which  the  Iroquois  had 
learned  from  the  French  missioners.  The  Christian  In- 
dians had  to  contend  against  the  taunts  and  the  arguments 
of  their  Pagan  brethren  in  the  practice  of  their  faith ;  but 
they  had  to  overcome  a  greater  difficulty  in  the  attacks  of 
the  Dutch,  who  brought  all  the  subtilty  of  educated  minds, 
and  all  the  malice  of  heretics,  to  bear  on  these  simple 
people  to  induce  them  to  relinquish  their  Catholic  faith. 
Some  of  the  intelligent  and  well  instructed  Indians  could 
give  reasons  for  their  belief,  and  could  defend  their  faith 
against  these  attacks;  but  the  existence  of  religious  dis- 
sensions among  Europeans  would  necessarily  lessen  the 
confidence  which  they  would  have  in  the  doctrines  of 
Christianity. 

The  fervent  Christians  were  accustomed  to  carry 
their  beads,  a  little  cross,  or  a  medal,  around  their  necks; 
and  the  Dutch  tried  to  persuade  them  that  this  was  idola- 
try. On  one  occasion,  when  some  Dutch  traders  assail- 
ed these  customs,  an  intelligent  Christian  replied:  "You 
manifest  very  little  intelligence  when  you  attack  us  in  this 
manner,  or  you  imagine  we  are  not  well  instructed  in  our 
faith.  You  are  mistaken  when  you  imagine  we  honor 
the  Blessed  Virgin  as  the  master  of  life.  We  know  too 
well  the  honor  which  belongs  to  God  to  bestow  it  upon 
any  creature.  We  well  know  that  God  alone  created  all 
things,  and  that  He  alone  is  to  be  honored  as  our  sovereign 
Master;  but  as  He  deigned  to  become  man  to  save  us, 
and  as  He  chose  Mary  for  His  Mother,  is  it  not  proper  to 
honor  her  as  such  ?    If  Jesus  Christ,  her  Son,  exalted  her 


iiii!' 


ACCUSED  THE  DUTCH  OF  TEACHING  THEM  EVIL. 


131 


to  the  highest  degree  of  honor,  if  the  angels  and  saints 
in  Heaven  offer  her  their  homage,  why  should  not  we 
honor  her  upon  earth  ?  This  little  chaplet  of  beads  en- 
ables us  to  offer  her  a  certain  number  of  acts  of  homage 
every  day;  and  her  image,  which  we  have  frequently  be- 
fore our  eyes,  awakens  in  our  hearts  the  love  and  respect 
we  should  have  for  the  Mother  of  our  Saviour. "'  "We  do 
not  pray  to  the  wood  of  the  cross,"  another  one  said, 
"because  it  has  not  ears  to  hear  us,  nor  life  to  help  us; 
and  God,  the  Master  of  Life,  is  a  pure  spirit  who  cannot 
be  seen  with  bodily  eyes ;  but  we  carry  the  cross  about 
our  necks  to  remind  us  that  Jesus  Christ  died  for  us  on 
the  cross,  and  He  died  a  temporal  death  to  procure  for  us 
eternal  life." 

The  Indians  not  only  gave  reasons  for  their  pious 
practices,  but  as  they  were  ruthlessly  attacked,  they  be- 
came the  aggressors,  and  accused  the  Dutch  of  teaching 
them  evil.  "You  tell  us,"  said  Marie  Tsiaouentes,  "not 
to  listen  to  the  voice  of  those  who  preach  to  us  the  word 
of  God ;  but  you  have  always  taught  us  evil.  You  seek 
only  our  furs,  and  you  do  not  care  for  our  souls.  You 
even  chase  us  from  your  place  of  worship,  as  if  we  pro- 
faned it  by  our  presence.  You  come  to  this  land  only  to 
promote  your  own  interests,  and  not  for  our  spiritual  wel- 
fare. The  Fathers,  who  instruct  us,  have  come  to  teach 
us  the  truth,  and  the  way  to  Heaven ;  and  they  left  their 
own  homes  and  their  friends  to  teach  us  the  way  to 
Heaven.  They  do  not  seek  our  furs,  or  our  wampum, 
but  they  teach  us  that  our  real  treasures  are  in  Heaven ; 
and  as  they  give  us  the  goods  of  Heaven  without  demand- 
ing in  return  those  of  earth,  we  beleive  they  are  true  and 
you  are  false.     They  teach  us  what  is  good  for  our  souls, 

I  Relations,  1670. 


'  ! 

i'.  -I 


132 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


ill  I 


II 


i' 


and  you  only  try  to  corrupt  us;   and  on  this  account  you 
will  be  punished  in  Hell,  like  other  wicked  people." 

On  another  occasion  four  disreputable  Dutchmen  in- 
vited Marie  to  a  party,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  her 
drunk.  When  she  was  urged  to  drink  like  the  others  she 
firmly  refused,  aud  said  that  she  may  have  been  guilty  of 
many  follies  before  baptism ;  but  she  knew  more  now, 
and  would  not  willfully  offend  God.  Threats,  or  even 
force,  could  not  alter  her  determination,  as  the  only  thing 
she  feared  in  this  world  was  sin.  She  was  as  uncom- 
promising with  the  Pagan  Indians  as  with  the  Dutch, 
and  whenever  they  proposed  any  magic  rite  for  tht  heal- 
ing of  the  sick,  or  the  sorcerers  entered  a  cabin  to  exercise 
their  art,  she  would  immediately  leave  the  company,  loud- 
ly proclaiming  that  it  was  no  place  for  a  Christian. 

These  humble  Christians  encountered  much  op- 
position to  their  faith,  but  they  found  consolation  in  the 
life  of  the  Saviour,  and  in  the  history  of  the  early  Christians' 
Many  of  the  native  Mohawk  converts  looked  for  relief 
from  these  petty  persecutions  of  the  Dutch  and  their 
Pagan  fellow  countrymen  in  exile;  and  their  hearts 
anxiously  yearned  for  a  new  home  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
under  the  protection  of  the  French. 

The  Iroquois  had  already  learned  that  the  Fathers  did 
not  seek  any  temporal  gain  by  laboring  amongst  them, 
but  came  for  their  moral  and  religious  improvement,  and 
they  consequently  believed  in  their  teaching,  and  lived 
Christian  lives,  though  they  were  often  obliged  to  suffer 
persec'+ion  in  the  observance  of  the  Christian  law. 

Fainer  Pierron  would  not  receive  any  adults  into  the 
Church  unless  they  were  free  from  every  sinful  habit,  and 
would  abandon  the  superstitious  practices  of  their  race; 
but  drunkenness  was  so  common  and  superstitions  so 


THE  GREAT  FESTIVAL  OF  THE  DEAD. 


133 


generally  followed  that  he  baptized  very  few  adults,  and 
his  prayers  and  labors  for  their  conversion  seemed  to  be 
in  vain,  yet  he  did  not  weary  in  trying  various  methods 
to  teach  them  Christianity :  at  one  time  instructing  them 
in  the  art  of  reading  and  writing,  so  they  might  be  able 
to  learn  Christian  doctrine  from  books ;  at  another  time 
teaching  them  a  play  in  which  the  sacraments,  the  com- 
mandments, the  chief  truths  of  Christianity,  and  the  end 
of  man,  were  represented  by  painted  toys  which  pleased 
the  fancy  and  enlightened  the  mind.' 

An  event  occurred  in  March,  1670,  in  the  town  of 
Gandaouague  which  advanced  these  people  far  in  their 
progress  towards  civilization  and  Christianity,  and  which 
was  of  vast  importance  to  the  Mohawks  and  to  the 
Iroquois  nations.  Delegates  from  the  other  nations  had 
assembled  to  take  part  in  the  great  festival  of  the  dead, 
and  Father  Pierron  was  invited  to  witness  the  ceremony, 
which  began  with  a  narration  of  the  fables  and  supersti- 
tions which  formed  the  theoretic  part  of  their  religious  be- 
lief Father  Pierron  was  very  strict  and  intolcrent  in  every- 
thing pertaining  to  religion,  and  considered  their  fables  as 
foolish  and  their  sorcery  as  the  work  of  the  devil ;  so  when 
he  spoke  he  told  them  their  history  was  lies,  and  their 
superstitions  were  the  work  of  demons.  One  of  the  chiefs 
reproached  the  Father  for  what  seemed  to  him,  a  wanton 
insult  to  his  race,  and  he  said  that  these  things  had  been 
practiced  and  believed  by  his  people  from  time  immemorial. 
Father  Pierron,  believing  he  was  doing  the  work  of  God, 
and  secure  in  the  hold  he  had  in  the  esteem  of  these  people, 
became  more  bold  at  the  reproach  of  the  chief,  and  re- 
plied that  because  the  Iroquois  had  practiced  these  things 
did  not  prove  that  they  were  good,  as  they  also  practiced 

I  Relations,  1670,  p.  35. 


|!;i;i.. 


Ul:'l' 


lilt 


M 


If 


134 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


drunkenness,  debauchery,  and  thievery,  yet  they  did  not 
believe  that  these  things  were  good;  and  he  said  it 
was  his  duty  to  teach  them  to  abandon  their  superstitions 
as  well  as  their  vices.  The  chief  made  no  reply,  but  told 
the  Father  to  leave  the  assembly  room  as  they  wished  to 
sing  their  songs  and  observe  their  rites ;  but  as  the  Father 
did  not  wish  to  yield,  it  was  only  to  avoid  disturbance 
that  he  reluctantly  withdrew.  Rumor  soon  spread 
through  the  town  that  Father  Pierron  had  been  insulted 
at  the  meeting  and  would  leave  the  country ;  and  as  the 
people  loved  him  and  feared  the  resentment  of  the  French, 
much  feeling  was  manifested  towards  the  chief  who  had 
ordered  him  to  leave  the  assembly.  This  chief  was  a 
friend  of  the  missioner  and  willingly  came  to  apologize 
for  his  rudeness,  and  he  also  offered  to  do  all  he  could  to 
induce  the  entire  nation  to  become  Christians.  He  pro- 
posed that  a  council  of  the  chief  men  of  the  nation  should 
be  held,  then  the  Father  should  give  a  present  to  each  of 
the  three  clans  of  the  Mohawks,  and  he  should  publicly 
invite  them  to  abandon  their  old  traditions  and  become 
Christians. 

This  chief,  who  had  great  authority  among  the  Mo- 
hawks, assembled  the  leading  men  of  the  nation  in  the 
cabin  of  Father  Pierron,  where  the  missioner  addressed 
them  on  the  folly  of  their  superstitions  and  fables,  and  on 
the  beauty  and  benefit  of  Christian  truths.  The  Mohawks 
had  frequently  said  that  they  were  one  body  and  one 
soul  with  the  French ;  but  Father  Pierron  said  that  they 
could  not  be  one  soul  as  long  as  the  French  believed  that 
the  soul  was  immortal  and  made  to  the  image  and  like- 
ness of  God,  whilst  the  Iroquois  believed  that  it  was  a 
wolf,  a  serpent,  a  fish,  or  a  bird,  or  some  other  animal, 
which  appeared  to  them  in  a  dream.     He  told  them  that 


A  COUNCIL  WAS  HELD. 


135 


Agreskoue,  whom  they  called  the  master  of  life,  was  only 
a  slave,  a  demon  of  Hell ;  that  God  alone  who  created  all 
things,  was  the  Master  of  life.  He  then  gave  them  a  large 
belt  of  wampum  inviting  them  to  renounce  Agreskoue, 
and  all  superstitious  practices  connected  with  this  wor- 
ship, and  to  adore  God,  and  observe  His  law. 

Great  applause  followed  this  proposition,  and  Father 
Pierron  was  delighted  with  the  prospects  of  success. 
He  presented  another  belt  to  urge  the  sorcerers  to  cease 
invoking  the  demons  in  healing  the  sick;  but  to  use  the 
remedies  which  Nature  supplied,  and  whose  efficacy  they 
had  learned  through  the  kindness  and  skill  of  the  French. 

Two  days'  afterwards  a  council  was  held  for  the  pur- 
pose of  replying  to  the  propositions  of  Father  Pierron. 
The  great  Onondaga  chief,  Garakon  ie,  was  present  and 
had  labored,  no  doubt,  earnestly  and  effectively,  during 
the  interval  between  the  councils,  to  influence  the  Mo- 
hawks in  favor  of  Christianity,  though  the  Mohawk  orator 
said  it  was  not  Garakontie  but  Father  Pierron  who  had 
changed  their  minds  and  hearts  in  regard  to  their  religious 
belief.*  The  orator  repeated  faithfully  and  eloquently  all 
the  arguments  Father  Pierron  had  advanced  against  the 
superstitious  practices  of  the  Iroquois,  and  he  also  gave 
presents  as  pledges  of  their  belief  in  the  propositions  of 
Father  Pierron.  Garakontie  also  spoke,  and  said  he  was 
pleased  that  the  Mohawks  had  more  faith  in  the  words  of 
a  man  like  Father  Pierron,  who  sacrificed  so  much  for 
their  salvation,  and  who  brought  them  the  word  of  God, 
than  they  had  in  his  own ;  and  they  showed  their  wisdom 
in  accepting  these  truths,  because  they  would  promote 
their  happiness  in  this  world  and  in  Eternity. 

1  The  Indians  never  gave  an  immediate  answer  to  any   mportant  proposition,  as  this 
would  seem  to  indicate  indifference  or  hasty  judgment. 

2  Relations,  1670;  p.  43. 


H 


vm^    " 


136 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


*: 


\m^if 


"fe' 


fnr 


The  next  day  the  Ancients  again  assembled,  and  gave 
a  more  definite  and  satisfactory  answer  to  the  propositions 
of  Father  Pierron.  The  chief  who  first  proposed  this 
council  spoke  for  his  people,  saying:  "It  is  not  an  easy 
matter  to  give  up  customs  we  have  observed  since  child- 
hood, and  to  renounce  traditions  that  have  been  the  guide 
of  our  race  since  the  beginning  of  the  world ;  but  as  we 
have  resolved  to  please  you  in  all  things,  and  to  show  the 
great  pleasure  we  have  in  listening  to  you,  we  make  you 
absolute  master  of  our  bodies  and  souls ;  and  there  is  no 
obstacle  which  we  will  not  overcome  to  render  ourselves 
worthy  of  the  honor  which  you  wish  to  procure  for  us. 
Instruct  us,  because  we  wish  to  believe  what  you  believe, 
to  condemn  what  you  condemn,  and  to  renounce  what- 
ever is  displeasing  to  you.  If  any  benighted  person 
should  hereafter  invoke  Agreskoue,  know  that  it  will  njt 
be  with  our  authority  or  consent.  Had  we  the  authority 
over  our  young  people  which  old  men  should  have,  then 
we  could  assure  you  that  your  wishes  would  be  universal- 
ly obeyed.  We  commend  our  sick  to  your  care,  as  you 
have  deprived  us  of  the  only  means,  which  up  to  this 
time,  we  have  employed  to  restore  their  health.  Enlarge 
your  chapel,  so  that  there  will  be  room  for  all  o ''  us  to  go 
to  receive  the  instructions  which  we  believe  to  be  the  will 
of  God."' 

Father  Pierron  thanked  the  Ancients  for  their  favor- 
able reply ;  and  then  hastened  to  the  chapel  to  return  thanks 
to  God  for  having  blessed  his  labors  in  such  a  signal 
manner.  A  few  days  after  the  Father  was  still  more 
pleased  to  see  the  sorcerers  casting  the  shells,  and  other 
instruments  of  their  mysteries,  into  the  fire.  The  Ancients 
led  the  young  to  the  chapel  to  be  instructed  and  to  learn 

I  Relations  1670,  p.  44. 


TWO  MORE  MISiIONERS. 


137 


to  pray;  and  p'though  the  French  had  often  learned  to 
mistrust  the  Iroquois,  yet  there  was  good  evidence  that 
Christianity  had  obtained  a  strong  foothold  among  the 
Mohawks. 

The  great  desire  these  people  manifested  to  learn  the 
truths  of  Christianity  claimed  more  time  and  attention 
than  Father  Pierron  could  give  to  this  work,  and  in  July  he 
went  to  Quebec  to  get  other  missioners  to  help  him  in 
this  promising  field,  and  the  Rev.  Thiery  Beschefer  and 
the  Rev.  Louis  Nocolas  returned  with  him  to  the  Mo- 
hawk country. 

Drunkenness  was  the  great  obstacle  to  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  Faith  among  the  Oneidas,  as  it  was  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  during  the  time  of  their 
drunken  revelry  even  the  life  of  the  missionary  was  not 
safe.  A  party  of  Oneidas  returned  from  the  Dutch  settle- « 
ment  August  16,  1669,  with  sixty  casks  of  liquor;  and 
from  that  time  till  the  middle  of  November  a  great  many 
of  the  adults  were  drunk  every  day,  and  would  not  come 
near  the  chapel  except  to  commit  some  outrage.'  When 
the  liquor  gave  c  it  Father  Bruyas  went  through  the 
town  calling  upon  the  inhabitants  to  come  to  listen  to 
the  truths  of  Christianity.  Many  attended  his  instruc- 
tions, but  he  did  not  receive  any  healthy  adult  into  the 
Church  till  Christmas,  1669,  when  he  baptized  an  ex- 
emplary fe.  lale  who  had  repeatedly  asked  to  be  baptized. 
His  time,  however,  was  fully  occupied  in  visiting  the 
sick  and  in  h  structing  his  little  Christian  flock. 

Garakontie  came  from  Onondaga  to  encourage  the 
Oneidas  to  visit  the  chapel,  and  to  learn  the  truths  of  the 
Christian  faith. 

I  When  Father  Bruyas  went  to  the  conference  at  Onondaga  his  companion,  a  layman, 
was  obliged  to  fly  from  the  village  for  safety. 


138 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


The  Onondaga  mission  was  dedicated  to  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  and  Father  Millet  imitated  the  example  of 
this  great  saint  by  going  about  through  the  town  and 
through  the  forest,  crying  out  "Do  penance,  for  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand ;  prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord;"  and  in  this  way  he  (fathered  the  people  around 
him  at  the  chapel  where  he  gave  them  a  short  instruction 
on  some  of  the  important  truths  of  Christianity.  He  ridi- 
culed their  superstitions  and  sorcery,  their  dream  theory, 
and  the  worship  of  Agreskoue.  He  also  attended  their 
banquets  to  invoke  God's  blessing  on  the  feast,  where 
formerly  the  Indians  called  on  the  demons  or  their  mani- 
tous  to  preside  on  these  festive  occasions. 

Garakontie  was  a  great  source  of  comfort  to  the 
missioners  by  his  holy  life,  and  a  great  assistance  to  them 
in  their  labors.  He  advised  Father  Millet  to  pay  more 
attention  to  the  old  people,  and  to  have  a  special  instruc- 
tion for  them  on  Sundays,  as  the  Indians  have  great  re- 
spect for  the  aged,  and  the  influence  of  their  example 
would  react  favorably  upon  the  young;  so  the  Father 
gave  a  banquet  on  the  following  Sunday,  to  which  Gara- 
kontie invited  the  Ancients  of  the  nation,  so  they  might 
become  better  acquainted  with  the  missioner  and  with 
the  doctrines  he  taught.  As  it  was  customary  for  the 
Indians  to  sing  about  their  fables  or  their  history  at  these 
feasts.  Father  Millet  sang  the  goodness  of  God  towards 
his  people,  the  birth  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world  and  His 
victory  over  the  demons ;  and  to  make  a  deeper  impres- 
sion on  the  minds  of  these  people  he  placed  the  Bible, 
representing  the  Will  and  the  word  of  God,  on  a  little 
table,  and  rbove  it  tht  image  of  the  Saviour,  with  the 
symbols  of  Indian  sorcery  and  superstition  at  his  feet,  to 
show  the  triumph  of  Christianity. 


THE  OBSERVANCE  OF  DREAMS. 


139 


Father  Millet  spoke  to  them  about  the  unity  of  God 
and  the  creation  of  the  world  by  His  power;  about  the 
Redemption  of  mankind  through  the  Incarnation,  by 
which  the  Son  of  God  became  man  to  teach  all  the  way 
to  Heaven  by  word  and  example.  As  the  Saviour  return- 
ed to  Heaven  He  left  His  teachings  in  the  Bible,  and  He 
commanded  His  Apostles  to  teach  His  word  and  His  will 
to  every  race  and  nation  in  the  world.  This  was  his  mis- 
sion among  them ;  as  he  and  his  companions  had  left  their 
pleasant  homes  in  France  to  bring  the  Gospel  to  the 
Indians  of  the  New  World,  in  obedience  to  the  command 
of  the  Saviour.  The  chiefs  seemed  very  much  pleased 
with  the  address,  and  they  thanked  the  Father  for  his 
entertainment  and  for  the  light  he  shed  upon  his  mission. 
The  Father's  preaching  evidently  had  a  good  effect  on  the 
minds  of  the  Ancients,  as  the  chapel  was  soon  too  small  to 
accommodate  the  numbers  that  came  for  instructions,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  divide  them  into  two  bands,  using  the 
little  bell  to  call  the  children  to  the  chapel,  and  ringing  the 
large  old  bell,  which  had  done  missionary  duty  in  the 
town  for  fourteen  years,  to  warn  the  adults  of  the  time 
for  the  sermon  and  prayer.  The  children  began  to  sing, 
and  to  repeat  their  catechism  lessons  by  the  fireside  and 
.  in  the  streets,  and  in  a  short  time  many  were  heard  to 
say:  "There  is  but  one  God,  who  is  the  Master  of  life;" 
and  those  who  were  already  Christians  began  to  show 
greater  pi'^ty  and  charity  in  their  lives,  and  to  imitate  the 
holiness  of  the  early  Christians. 

The  good  disposion  of  the  Indians  inspired  the  Father 
to  make  another  attack  on  their  superstitions,  and  espe- 
cially on  the  observance  of  dreams.  He  again  assembled 
the  Ancients  in  council,  and  told  them  they  should  aban- 
don their  feasts  of  impurity  and  gluttony,  and  their  obser- 


fl;J;-1' 


;  .1- 


''^^-ii,.? 


140 


THE  iROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


vance  of  dreams,  for  these  dreams  are  often  either  wicked 
or  foolish,  and  it  must  be  wrong  to  fulfill  them.  As  the 
belief  in  dreams  was  universal  among  the  Iroquois,  Father 
Millet  was  doubtful  of  the  issue,  but  he  considered  this 
step  necessary  for  the  good  of  religion,  and  to  test  the 
faith  of  some  who  were  addicted  to  these  practices,  but 
who  wished  to  be  admitted  to  the  Church.  A  long  con- 
ference on  these  subjects  was  held  among  the  Indians 
after  the  departure  of  Father  Millet  from  th(!  council,  and 
when  he  was  recalled,  Garakontie  gave  ths  reply  of  bis 
nation  to  the  propositions  of  the  Father.  He  said  that 
his  countrymen  were  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the 
Father's  words;  that  they  would  renounce  the  supersti- 
tions he  had  prescribed ;  they  would  no  longer  believe  in, 
or  obey  the  dream  spirit;  they  had  already  forsaken  the 
worship  of  Agreskoue,  whose  spirit  was  no  longer  in- 
voked at  their  feasts,  but  the  missioner,  himself,  was 
invited  on  these  occasions  to  pray,  and  when  he  was 
absent  some  chief  took  his  place  in  asking  God  not  only 
for  the  blessings  of  earth,  but  also  for  the  joys  of  Heaven. 
He  said  he  hoped  soon  to  see  the  entire  nation  attending 
the  chapel ;  and,  as  a  pledge  of  the  sincerity  of  his  peo- 
ple, he  gave  the  Father  the  usual  belt  of  Wampum. '  It 
could  hardly  be  expected  that  the  entire  nation  would 
immediately  abandon  its  ancient  customs;  or  that  the 
young. men,  who  enjoyed  such  liberty  of  action,  would 
give  up  their  vices  to  become  Christians.  Father  Millet, 
however,  took  advantage  of  their  promises  to  assail  the 
practices  of  the  sorcerers  and  medicine  men,  as  he  hoped 
by  destroying  the  influence  of  these  men  to  wean  the 
people  from  their  superstitions  and  imperceptibly  lead 
them  to  adopt  Christian  customs.     The  Indians  could 

I  Rebtlons,  1670;  p.  53. 


LED  VERY  EDIFYING  LIVES. 


l41 


i!.N;| 


more  easily  give  up  these  outward  forms  than  they  could 
overcome  their  passions,  and  hatred  of  an  enemy,  which 
with  them  was  the  greatest  virtue,  could  not  readily  be 
exchanged  for  Christian  love.  They  very  unwillingly, 
therefore,  permitted  the  Father  to  prepare  their  captives 
for  a  Christian  death  and  consequent  happiness  in 
Heaven ;  for  they  jsavagely  burned  these  captives  in  this 
world,  and  they  wished  them  to  burn  eternally  in  hell ; 
but  their  opposition  did  not  prevent  the  missioner  from 
instructing  and  baptizing  nearly  every  one  of  their  victims. 

The  Church  among  the  Onondagas  was  composed 
principally  of  Hurons  and  other  nations  that  had  been 
conquered  by  the  Iroquois,  for  although  some  of  the  lat- 
ter were  baptized,  yet  Father  Millet  did  not  wish  to  receive 
any  adults  into  the  Church  whilst  such  general  depravity 
existed  around  them.  Those  who  had  been  received  into 
the  Church  led  very  edifying  lives,  and  were  faithful  in 
their  attendance  at  the  chapel  and  prompt  in  their  prayers 
in  the  cabin  and  in  the  field.  Garakontie,  especii-Ily,  gave 
testimony  by  his  life  to  the  efficacy  and  beauty  of  Chris- 
tian teaching,  and  he  tried  to  induce  his  countrymen  to 
abandon  their  superstitions  and  vices,  and  regulate  their 
lives  according  to  the  law  of  Christ. 

Father"  Carheil  writes  from  Cayuga  June  lo,  1670,  that 
his  time  was  fully  occupied  in  teaching  Christian  doctrine 
to  young  and  old,  in  baptizing  children  and  adults,  and 
in  visiting  the  sick  and  dying.  The  country  was  placed 
under  the  protection  of  St.  Joseph,  and  each  of  the  vil- 
lages' was  dedicated  to  some  saint.  He  had  baptized 
twenty-five  children  and  twelve  adults  since  the  preced- 
ing autumn,  although  many  objected  to  the  sacrament, 
prejudiced,  no  doubt,  by  the  malicious  stories  circulated 

I  Relations,  1670.       2  See  Chapter  lU 


,  If* 


pflt' 


142 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


by  Pagan  Indians.  They  claimed  that  nations  decayed  as 
they  adopted  Christianity,  and  death  soon  followed  the  re- 
ception of  baptism.  One  instance  of  obstinacy  will  suf- 
fice to  show  the  trials  of  the  missionary.  He  visited  a 
Seneca  woman  who  was  sick,  and  spoke  to  her  of  God, 
of  the  soul,  and  eternal  life;  but  she  would  not  listen  to 
him,  and  prejudiced  all  her  friends  against  him,  so  that 
all  maintained  profound  silence  when  he  entered  the 
cabin,  or  were  indifferent  to  his  presence.  He  said  mass 
for  her,  and  prayed  that  God  would  give  her  the  grace  of 
faith ;  but  she  still  remained  obstinate  and  threw  her  shoe 
at  him  when  he  attempted  to  address  her.  The  Father 
did  not  lose  hope,  but  returned  to  the  cabin  at  evening 
and  spoke  to  those  present  of  the  teachings  of  Christ. 
Finally,  a  Christian  woman  told  the  sick  Seneca  that  she 
was  dying,  and  should  listen  to  the  missionary  and  pre- 
pare for  the  meeting  with  God.  She  yielded;  told  the 
missionary  she  believed  all  he  had  taught  her,  and  asked 
to  be  baptized. 

The  Huron  Christians  gave  great  consolation  to  the 
Father,  and  a  noble  example  to  the  Pagans,  by  their 
fidelity  to  the  Faith,  by  their  devout  demeanor,  frequent 
reception  of  the  sacraments,  and  the  purity  of  their  lives. 

Avery  large  number  attended  the  instructions  which 
were  given  every  day  in  the  chapel,  nearly  one  hundred 
coming  the  first  day;  but  it  was  almost  impossible  to  in- 
duce them  to  abandon  their  religious  theory  of  dreams. 
Although  they  did  not  believe  that  a  dream  was  a  divinity 
yet  they  held  that  a  genius,  or  demi-god,  they  call  Agat- 
konchoria,  appears  to  them  in  dreams,  and  commands 
them  to  do  what  he  thus  reveals ;  and  they  faithfully  fol- 
low the  mandates  of  this  mysterious  power,  as  happiness 
and  prosperity  depend  upon  obedience,  ^nd  misfortune 


CONSOLATION  AMONG  THE  SENEGAS. 


143 


and  evil  will  come  from  refusal  or  neglect  to  obey.  The 
principal  of  these  genii  is  Tharoniawagon,  who  is  also  the 
chief  divinity  and  the  master  of  life. 

The  young  men  delight  in  hunting,  fishing,  and  in 
war;  and  when  they  are  successful  in  these  they  become 
insolent  and  despise  Christianity,  as  the  foundation  of 
faith  is  the  spirit  of  humility,  and  this  virtue  is  directly 
opposed  to  all  the  savage  believed  to  be  good  or  great. 
It  is  very  difficult,  therefore,  to  make  an  Indian  die  a 
saint  who  has  lived  all  his  life  a  savage. 

Father  Fremin  found  his  greatest  consolation  among 
the  Senecas  in  his  little  congregation  of  old  Huron  Chris- 
tians at  Gandougarae.  These  Christians  had  not  forgotten 
the  doctrines  they  had  been  taught  in  their  old  homes, 
and  they  came  again  to  the  foot  of  the  altar  to  renew 
their  faith,  and  to  thank  God  for  the  presence  of  a  priest. 
They  made  open  profession  of  their  faith,  and  the  purity 
of  their  lives  made  a  very  favorable  impression  upon  the 
minds  of  the  Pagans. 

Many  of  the  Christian  Hurons  were  very  exemplary, 
and  even  saintly  in  their  lives;  and  through  the  long 
years  of  their  desolation  they  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  faith 
by  repeating  the  truths  taught  them  by  the  Jesuits  in  their 
old  home,  by  acts  of  piety,  and  by  prayers.  Two  of  the 
old  men  were  especially  noted  for  their  holy  lives,  and 
the  Pagans  as  well  as  the  Christians  were  edified  by  their 
good  example.  One  of  these  old  men,  James  Atondo, 
was  noted  for  his  spirit  of  prayer,  and  for  his  zeal  in  pro- 
claiming the  name  of  God.  He  accepted  the  law  of  God 
as  the  guide  of  his  life,  and  he  sought  to  convince  his 
Pagan  friends  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  prayer. 
He  told  the  Pagans  that  they  gave  banquets  and  presents, 
and  went  to  much  trouble  to  propitiate  the  dream  spirit 


144 


*  '.,1 


If; 


t#f 


^'^i 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


SO  they  might  be  successful  in  fishing,  in  hunting,  and  in 
war;  yet  they  were  in  misery  and  in  want,  whilst  disease 
and  war  carried  off  some  of  their  finest  men.  He  did  not 
believe  in  fulfilling  dreams,  but  prayed  to  God  for  guid- 
ance and  help,  and  God  blessed  him  with  a  vigorous  old 
age,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  fish  and  game.  He  was 
comfortably  situated  in  this  world,  and  hoped  to  be  happy 
with  God  in  the  next;  whilst  they  Nvould  only  be  released 
from  present  ills  to  fall  victims  to  greater  sufferings  after 
death. 

Francis  Tehoronhionga  was  another  noted  and  exem- 
plary member  of  Father  Fremin's  little  flock.  He  was 
intelligent,  and  well  instructed,  as  he  was  formerly  the 
host  of  Father  LeMoyne ;  and  he  taught  the  doctrine  of 
the  Church  to  every  member  of  his  household.  For 
more  than  twenty  years  he  never  neglected  his  daily 
prayers ;  and  every  day  he  besought  God  to  preserve  his 
life  until  he  could  again  see  a  priest,  and  receive  the  sac- 
raments of  the  Church.  He  had  the  firmest  hope  that 
his  prayers  would  be  heard.  He  could  not  believe  that 
God  would  call  him  to  Christianity  and  allow  him  to  die 
without  its  blessings,  because  then  all  his  prayers  would 
have  been  in  vain,  and  the  spiritual  character  of  baptism 
would  be  a  mark  of  dishonor  instead  of  a  symbol  of  glory. 
When  he  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Father  Fremin  he  ex- 
claimed: "God  has  at  length  heard  my  prayer."  In  speak- 
ing of  his  dead  relatives  he  said:  "Why  should  I  grieve 
over  their  departure  ?  My  mother  died  shortly  after  re- 
ceiving baptism,  ind  most  of  my  near  relatives  received 
the  sacraments  before  death;  and  I  hope  they  are  now 
happy  in  Heaven  "  Every  member  of  his  family,  who 
died  when  a  priest  was  not  near,  made,  at  least,  a  con- 
fession of  sin,  ani  endeavored  to  excite  in  his  heart  per* 


PECULIAR  NOTION  OF  HEAVEN. 


146 


feet  sorrow  for  the  past.  The  greatest  affliction  of  his 
life,  he  said,  was  caused  by  the  bad  conduct  of  one  of  his 
sons,  who  led  a  very  bad  life  and  died  without  having 
been  reconciled  with  God.  He  had  then  but  one  son 
living,  and,  although  this  one  had  gone  on  the  war  path, 
yet,  ail  he  had  received  the  sacrament  of  penance  from 
Father  Fremin  before  his  departure,  if  death  should  come 
it  would  not  find  him  entirely  unprepared. 

Francis  knew  many  of  the  Bible  narratives,  and  the 
miracles  and  parables  of  the  Gospel,  and  he  delighted  to 
recite  these  for  the  edification  of  his  neighbors  and  friends, 
and  in  this  manner  he  paved  the  way  for  the  teaching,  of 
the  Fathers. 

It  was  a  very  difficult  and  tedious  task  to  imbue  the 
minds  of  these  savages  with  pure  and  thorough  Christian 
principles,  as  these  were  contrary  to  all  their  traditions, 
modes  of  life,  and  forms  of  thought;  and  they  were  apt 
to  confound  their  Indian  belief  with  Catholic  truth.  As 
an  instance  of  this  confusion  of  Pagan  opinion  with 
Christian  truth,  Father  Fremin  relates  the  peculiar  notion 
an  Iroquois  woman  had  of  Heaven."  The  daughter  of 
this  woman  died  a  Christian,  and,  as  the  family  was  quite 
prominent  in  the  nation,  the  girl  had  twenty  slaves  to  do 
her  bidding;  so  she  was  never  obliged  to  carry  wood  or 
water,  or  do  any  manual  labor  in  this  world ;  and  as  she 
was  the  only  member  of  the  family  in  Heaven,  she  would 
there  be  compelled  to  cook  for  herself,  and  do  all  the 
drudgery ;  so  this  kind  mother  requested  the  missioner 
to  baptize  a  female  slave,  who  was  dying,  so  that  she 
might  be  a  servant  to  her  child  in  Heaven. 

The  Senecas  seem  to  be  more  firmly  attached  to  the 
dream  theory  than  the  other  Iroquois,  and  they  consider 

I  Relations,  1670. 


"; 


^'■i 


146 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


any  one  guilty  of  a  grevious  crime  who  would  not  fulfill 
the  obligations  thus  revealed.  The  dreamer  is  not  de- 
terred from  fulfilling  every  feature  of  the  dream,  how  re- 
diculous  soever  or  difficult  it  may  be.  One,  for  instance, 
dreamed  of  taking  a  bath,  and  as  soon  as  he  awoke  in 
the  morning  he  ran  naked  to  the  neighboring  cabins, 
and  compelled  the  inmates  to  pour  kettles  of  water 
over  his  body.  Another  dreamed  he  was  taken  captive 
and  burned  at  the  stake;  so  he  had  his  friends  bind  him 
to  a  stake,  and  light  the  faggots  around  him  until  he  was 
quite  severely  burned,  as  he  hoped  in  this  way  to  escape 
a  real  captivity,  and  a  horrid  death.  Another  made  the 
long  and  toilsome  journey  to  Quebec  to  obtain  a  dog, 
which  she  dreamed  she  had  purchased  from  the  French. 
The  missionary,  therefore,  is  in  constant  danger,  as 
one  of  these  Indians  may  dream  that  it  is  his  duty  to  mu- 
tilate or  kill  the  minister  of  Christ.'  There  were,  how- 
ever, many  bright  examples  of  beautiful  lives  and  saintly 
deaths  among  the  Christians  to  console  and  encourage 
the  Fathers^  even  in  the  midst  of  these  dangers. 

I  Relations,  1670. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  IROQUOIS  MISSIONS  IN  1671. 

MANY  BAPTISMS-EXAMPLES  OF  PIETY-GARAKONTIE'S  FAITH- 
CONDEMNS  DREAM  FOLLY-HATRED  OF  SIN-GANDOUGARAE 
DESTROYED-LIQUOR  DRINKING-OBSTACLES  TO  FAITH-DE- 
LAYED CONVERSIONS-BAPTISM  OF  SAONCHIOGWA-COUNCIL 
AT  QUEBEC-IROQUOIS  EXILES. 

THIS  was  a  peaceful  and  a  comparatively  uneventful 
year  on  the  Iroquois  missions;  and  the  Fathers 
continued  their  work  of  instructing,  civilizing,  and 
receiving  into  the  Church,  these  savage  people.  About 
three  hundred  were  baptized  during  the  year,  and  al- 
though the  greater  part  of  these  were  the  sick,  and  the 
prisoners  who  were  burned  at  the  stake,  yet  these  bap- 
tisms do  not  represent  the  extent  of  the  labors  of  the 
Fathers  among  the  Iroquois,  as  their  instructions  were 
far-reaching  and  of  great  importance;  and  the  Indians 
were  gradually  abandoning  their  vices  and  superstitions, 
and  were  unconsciously  adopting  civilized  and  Christian 
customs. 

More  than  eighty  were  baptized  on  the  Mohawk 
missions  and  many  of  these  manifested  by  their  lives 
and  by  their  words  before  death,  that  they  had  the  true 
Christian  spirit,  and  were  well  instructed  in  their  religion. 
One  faithful  woman  had  been  repeatedly  solicited  by  a 
chief  to  do  evil,  but  she  repressed  his  importunities  by 
declaring  that,  as  a  Christian,  her  soul  was  precious  in  the 

147 


148 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


ii 


sight  of  God,  and  she  would  not  offend  Him  by  defiling 
her  soul  with  sin. 

Father  Bruyas,  who  had  charge  of  the  mission  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier  among  the  Oneidas,  relates  several  in- 
stances of  the  faithful  and  enlightened  Christian  spirit 
manifested  on  different  occasions  by  members  of  his 
flock.     An  old  Christian  Huron,  Joseph  Ondessonka,  re- 
quested the  Father  to  tell  him  when  he  would  be  near 
death,  so  he  might  give  his  whole  attention  to  the  care 
of  his  soul.     He  made  a  general  confession'  of  his  whole 
life,  and  continually  called  upon  God  to  be  merciful  to 
him  and  to  forgive  him.     Shortly  before  death  he  asked 
the  priest  to  assemble  the  Christians  in  his  cabin  so  he 
might  exort  them  to  be  faithful  to  their  religion,  and  thus 
they  would  one  day  be  united  in  Heaven.     He  died  with 
the  name  of  Jesus  on  his  lips,  calling  upon  the  Saviour  to 
receive  his  soul.^  Shortly  after  the  death  of  Joseph  another 
prominent  member  of  the  little  church  at  Oneida  was 
called  to  her  reward.     She  had  been  a  model  of  the  true 
Christian  in  her  life,  and  she  edified  her  friends  by  her 
saintly  death.     She  thanked  God  for  the  full  use  of  her 
senses  during  her  last  illness,  so  that  she  could  devote 
the  last  hours  of  her  life  to  prayer  and  preparation  for 
eternity. 

Such  holy  lives  and  saintly  deaths  were  the  only 
consolation  the  Fathers  found  among  these  people,  and 
the  only  visible  reward  for  their  labor. 

At  Onondaga  Garakontie  publicly  proclaimed  his 
Christian  faith,  and  gave  in  his  life  a  beautiful  example 

I  He  could  not  write,  nor  was  he  versed  in  the  science  of  numbers;  but  he  adopted  an 
effective  method  of  portraying  the  number  and  different  kinds  of  sin.  He  formed  little 
heaps  of  grains  of  corn  to  represent  the  several  times  he  had  committed  any  §in,  and  the 
different  heaps  showed  the  various  species  of  sin. 

a  Relations  1671,  p.  15. 


THE  FEAST  OF  DREAMS. 


149 


of  the  efficacy  of  Christianity  in  overcoming  evil  and  of 
leading  its  professors  into  the  path  of  virtue.  Before  ac- 
cepting the  Faith  he  had  a  plurality  of  wives,  and  was 
addicted  to  many  of  the  superstitions  of  his  race,  but  he 
abandoned  all  these  on  the  threshold  of  the  Church.  In  a 
speech  at  a  public  banquet  he  said  that  he  had  filled  many 
important  offices  in  his  country ;  he  had  been  kind  to  the 
poor  and  to  the  widows,  helping  them  in  their  time  of 
need;  and  all  these  things  he  had  done  through  natural 
inclination,  or  a  sense  of  honor;  he  would  continue  to 
do  in  the  future  as  he  had  in  the  past,  but  henceforth 
he  would  act  through  higher  motives,  because  his  religion 
taught  him  that  these  good  deeds  were  pleasing  to 
God. 

They  must  not,  however,  expect  him  to  countenance 
the  belief  in  dreams,  or  to  participate  in  any  of  the  super- 
stitious practices  of  their  forefathers;  because  all  these 
things  were  forbidden  by  the  law  of  God.  An  occasion 
soon  came  in  which  his  fidelity  was  put  to  a  severe  test. 
The  Iroquois  celebrate  in  the  spring  time  the  feast  of 
dreams,"  during  which  they  expect  that  Thoroniawagon, 
the  master  of  life,  will  reveal  to  them  their  good  or  evil 
fortune  during  the  coming  year;  and,  as  the  feast  is  cele- 
brated in  his  honor,  they  hope  he  will  grant  them  suc- 
cess in  the  hunt,  and  victory  in  war.  The  chief  of  the 
town  is  expected  to  appoint  the  time  and  sup^gest  the 
preparations  for  the  feast.  Garakontie  held  this  position, 
and  when  his  attention  was  called  to  the  matter  at  a 
council  he  replied  that  he  was  a  Christian  and  could  not 
sanction  any  such  superstition. ^ 

The  action  of  Garakontie  displeased  the  Pagans,  but 
it  encouraged  the  Christians  to  publicly  profess  their  belief; 

I  Called  Onnonhouaroia.        2  Relations  1671,  p.  17. 


150 


THE  'ROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


and  it  gave  the  sanction  of  tlie  greatest  living  Iroquois  to 
the  teaching  of  the  Fathers. 

The  great  chief  fearlessly  proclaimed  his  faith  before 
the  Dutch  at  Albany,  and  he  told  them  that  they  could 
not  hope  for  success  in  their  peace  negotiations  with  the 
Iroquois  because  they  sought  to  discredit  the  teachings  of 
the  Jesuits.  "When  we  treat  with  Onontio,"'  he  said, 
"he  tells  us  we  must  honor  God  and  keep  His  holy  law, 
and  we  must  respect  and  believe  those  who  teach  us 
what  is  good  for  our  souls ;  but  you  turn  us  away  from 
the  worship  of  God,  and  ridicule  the  practices  taught  us 
by  the  Black  Robes." 

The  uncompromising  faith  of  this  great  chief  had  a 
salutary  effect  upon  the  Christians  at  Onondaga;  and  they 
renounced  old  customs  which  were  immoral  and  they 
abstained  from  liquor,  which  was  bringing  disgrace  and 
ruin  upon  their  race.  When  one  of  the  members  of  the 
little  flock  gave  scandal  by  excessive  liquor  drinking,  she 
was  excluded  from  the  church  until  she  had  made  repar- 
ation by  public  penance :  but  so  highly  did  these  people 
prize  the  rules  of  their  church  that  they  willingly  bore  the 
penalties  inflicted  for  public  sin ;  nor  was  their  respect  for 
these  laws  weakened  by  the  taunts,  or  the  sneers,  of 
their  Pagan  friends. 

Father  Carheil  baptized  sixty-two  in  his  different 
missions  this  year,  and  of  this  number  thirty-five  died 
shortly  after  receiving  this  first  sacrament  of  the  Church. 
He  met  with  some  difficulty  in  eliciting  true  sorrow 
from  the  adults  for  past  sins;  as  many  of  these  had  been 
addicted  to  vices  which,  with  the  natural  light  of  reason, 
they  knew  to  be  wrong;  but  when  the  greater  light  of 
revelation  and  grace  discovered  these  things  to  them  in 

I  The  French  Governor. 


FATHER  CARHEII.  RELATES  A  CASE. 


161 


the  enormity  of  sins,  their  souls  were  disturbed  with  the 
consciousness  of  guilt,  and  a  special  grace  was  required 
to  enable  them  to  conquer.  In  such  cases  the  missioners 
had  recourse  to  prayer;  and  they  generally  were  pleased 
to  find  s'jcli  persons  manifesting  every  outward  mark  of 
sincere  sorrow.  As  an  instance  of  the  difficulty  of 
awakening  sorrow  for  sin  in  the  hearts  of  these  people, 
Father  Carheil  relates  the  case  of  a  young  woman  who 
was  a  regular  attendant  at  the  instructions  in  the  chapel. 
She  was  amiable  in  disposition  and  refined  in  manners,  and 
her  conversation  showed  more  of  European  culture  than 
of  savage  breeding.  She  gradually  learned  the  doctrines 
of  Christianity,  and  the  missioner  considered  her  a  well 
disposed  subject  for  baptism.  In  making  his  daily  visits 
to  the  cabins,  the  Father  found  this  woman  quite  seriously 
ill,  and  piteously  begging  for  some  remedy  to  restore  her 
health.  He  spoke  to  her  of  the  spiritual  healing  of  the 
soul,  and  of  the  dispositions  necessary  for  receiving  the 
sacraments;  and  she  listened  with  pleasure  to  his  in- 
structions upon  the  nature  and  effects  of  baptism ;  but 
when  he  told  her  that  the  pouring  of  water  alone  was  not 
sufficient  to  merit  the  graces  of  this  sacrament,  but  that 
true  sorrow  and  a  firm  resolve  to  sin  no  more  were  also 
necessary,  she  refused  to  accept  his  teaching.  The  saving 
of  a  soul  was  too  important  a  work  to  be  abandoned  on 
account  of  a  rebuff,  so  the  Father  resumed  his  instructions 
as  soon  as  she  would  allow  him  to  enter  her  cabin,  and 
her  dislike  of  Christianity  was  soon  changed  to  love.  The 
solicitude  which  the  Father  manifested  for  her  spiritual 
and  corporal  welfare  won  her  confidence,  and  she  soon 
learned  that  deep  sorrow  for  sin  brought  true  joy  to 
the  soul. 

Father  Gamier  relates  examples  of  individual  piety 


fc 


!li:l:'l:i|';».' 
»*!*•?«' 


i 


152 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  ANl    THE  JESUITS. 


and  holiness  of  life  manifested  by  his  little  flock ;  but,  as 
a  nation,  the  Senecas  did  not  seem  to  be  any  more  dis- 
posed to  adopt  Christianity  than  their  brethren  of  the 
Cayugas,  and  it  was  only  in  the  time  of  humiliation  or 
defeat  that  they  hastened  to  the  chapel.  The  town  of 
Gandougarae,  St.  Michael's,  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire 
in  the  spring  of  1670,  and  the  inhabitants  lost  all  their 
provisions  and  personal  property,  yet  their  greatest  loss 
seemed  to  be  the  chapel.  They  said  the  destruction  of 
their  own  homes  was  a  merited  punishment  for  their 
opposition  to  the  Gospel,  and  they  promised  to  erect  a 
handsome  chapel  for  the  Father,  as  soon  as  they  could 
provide  shelter  for  themselves,  and  protection  against  their 
enemies. 

Drunkenness  was  very  common  among  the  Senecas 
whenever  they  could  obtain  liquor  from  th**  Dutch  or 
French,  and  at  such  times  the  orgies  continued  until  all 
the  liquor  was  consumed.  Often  twenty  or  thirty  small 
casks  of  strong  drink  were  brought  from  the  settlement 
at  Albany,  and  the  entire  Pagan  population  of  a  town 
would  begin  a  drunken  debauch,  which  would  last  for 
many  weeks.  It  was  at  such  times,  especially,  that  the 
Christians  showed  the  influence  of  their  faith  upon  their 
lives.  They  took  no  part  in  these  excesses,  and  were 
obliged  to  hide  away  in  the  forests  to  escape  from  the 
riotous  rabble;  and  they  would  stf  ^  their  way  to  the 
chapel,  under  the  mantle  of  morning  twilight,  to  pray  in 
peace. 

The  Senecas  were  as  fully  fascinated  with  the  dream 
folly  as  the  other  nations,  and  they  celebrated  the  feast 
every  spring  time  with  all  the  fervor  of  religious  enthusi- 
asts. Some  of  the  Christians,  however,  firmly  protested 
against  this  roliy,  and  refused  to  take  part  in  the  dream 


MORALTY  NOT  IN  ACCORD  WITH  CHRISTIAN  CODE. 


153 


feast.  One  old  Huron,  at  St.  Michael's,  went  through  the 
town,  and  also  through  the  neighboring  village  of  St. 
James',  crying  out  against  the  custom,  and  warning  the 
Pagans  not  to  approach  his  cabin  to  seek  his  aid  in  furth- 
ering their  folly. 

The  Father  says  these  people  manifest  great  aversion 
to  the  Faith,  and  the  conversion  of  a  Savage  must  be  the 
work  of  grace.  The  unrestrained  liberty  of  their  life  made 
them  averse  to  any  Ia.w  which  restricted  their  will,  or  fet- 
tered the  freedom  of  passion's  sway.  Pride,  also,  pre- 
vented many  from  yielding  submission  to  the  Christian 
law ;  for  this  vice  reigned  in  the  cabins  of  the  Iroquois  as 
well  as  in  the  palaces  of  Europe,  and  a  few  furs,  or  a 
number  of  scalps,  were  sufficient  to  fill  an  Indian's  mind 
with  exalted  thoughts  of  his  own  importance.  Their 
moralty  was  not  in  accord  with  the  Christain  code,  and 
they  could  not  be  induced  to  abandon  the  practices  of  a 
licentious  life  for  the  moral  virtues  of  the  Gospel.  Some 
of  their  amusements  were  immoral,  but  they  were  a 
source  of  sensual  pleasure  which  the  young  people  would 
not  willingly  forego  at  the  command  of  the  priest. 

Insurmountable  as  these  obstacles  seemed,  yet  the 
Fathers'  overcame  them  by  untiring  efforts;  and  their 
zeal,  their  patience,  and  their  sweetness,  won  the  respect 
and  good  wili  of  many  of  these  people. 

T^z  Fathers  knew  the  language  well,  and  every  day 
they  preached  to  large  numbers  in  the  chapel.  All  the 
Senecas  were  sufficiently  well  instructed  to  receive  bap- 
tism ;  but  human  considerations  or  sinful  lives  kept  them 
out  of  the  Church,  and  many  delayed  their  conversion 
until  they  found  death  approaching. 

I  Father  Fremin  left  the  Seneca  mission  this  year  to  take  charge  of  the  little  congrega- 
tion at  Prarie  de  la  Madelaine. 


!.«? 


i  y 


154  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUItS. 

The  Senecas  were  also  very  much  attached  to  the  ob- 
servance of  superstitious  customs,  which  they  very  re- 
luctantly abandoned  to  adopt  Christianity;  but  as  all  were 
well  instructed  very  few  died  without  being  received  into 
the  Church.  Many  of  the  Senecas  put  off  their  conversion 
to  the  hour  of  death,  because  they  did  not  wish  to  abandon 
their  vices  or  renounce  the  customs  of  their  race;  but 
when  they  realized  that  life  was  drawing  to  its  close  they 
urgently  sent  for  the  priest,  and  requested  to  be  baptized 
so  they  might  enter  the  Christian  Heaven.  It  was  diffi- 
cult, however,  for  them  to  overcome  in  a  moment  the 
habits  of  a  life-time.  Father  Gamier  relates  the  peculiar 
case  of  one  of  his  converts  who  persisted  in  believing  in 
dreams.  This  man  dreamed,  shortly  after  baptism,  that 
he  was  in  Heaven,  wheie  he  was  received  by  the  French 
with  the  cry  which  the  Indians  utter  when  they  meet  a 
prisoner  who  is  destined  for  the  stake;  and  he  accused  the 
Father  of  deceiving  him,  as  baptism  was,  according  to 
his  dream,  only  a  mark  by  which  the  French  in  Heaven 
might  know  those  who  were  to  be  burned. 

Morning  and  evening  prayers  were  said  in  the  differ- 
ent villages,  by  Pagans  as  well  as  Christians,  and  Father 
Gamier  was  kept  so  busy  instructing  and  baptizing  that 
he  was  obliged  to  send  for  help  to  assist  him  in  his 
work. 

Following  the  example  of  Garakontie,  Saonchiogwa, 
the  great  chief  of  the  Cayugas,  was  received  into  the 
Church  at  Quebec,  with  all  the  ceremony  and  honor 
which  the  prelate  and  Governor  could  bestow  upon  so 
distinguished  a  convert. 

The  Senecas  and  Cayugas  were  near  neighbors  and 
firm  friends,  and  were  closely  allied  in  peace  and  war; 
so  when  the  former  decided  to  send  a  delegation  on  im- 


WAR  BETWEEN  IROQIJOIS  AND  ALGONQIJINS. 


155 


portant  business  to  Quebec,  in  1671,  they  selected  Saon- 
chiogwa,  the  Cayuga  chief,  as  their  ambassador. 

The  French  Governor  labored  to  put  an  end  to  the 
w^r  between  the  Iroquois  and  Algonquins;  and  he  threat- 
ened to  invade  the  land  of  the  Senecas  unless  they  buried 
the  hatchet  and  released  the  captives  they  had  taken. 
The  proud  Senecas  were  very  indignant  at  this  unjust 
assumption  of  French  alliance  with  all  the  Indian  nations 
who  were  at  war  with  the  Iroquois,  merely  because  these 
nations  traded  with  the  French,  or  because  French  Fathers 
preached  the  Gospel  among  them. '  The  French  furnished 
arms  to  these  nations  to  fight  the  Iroquois,  and  at  the 
same  time  they  ordered  the  Senecas  to  lay  down  their 
arms.  Many  of  the  young  warriors  were  in  favor  of  re- 
senting this  insult  by  attacking  the  French  settlements; 
but  the  wiser  ones  feared  the  French  might  make  good 
their  threat,  and  that  their  homes  would  be  made  deso- 
late, as  were  the  towns  of  their  Mohawk  brethren  some 
years  before  by  the  army  of  DeTracy.  In  this  dilemma 
they  resorted  to  their  usual  peace  strategy,  ai.d  they  re- 
solved to  send  some  of  their  less  important  captives  to 
Quebec,  as  a  peace  offering  to  Onontio.  To  more  effect- 
ually conceal  their  duplicity,  they  placed  these  prisoners 
in  the  hands  of  Saonchiogwa,  who  had  always  been 
friendly  towards  the  French,  and  whose  sincerity  would 
not  be  questioned  at  the  council. 

Saonchiogwa  willingly  undertook  this  embassy,  as  he 
had  long  cherished  the  desire  of  entering  the  Church ; 
and  his  visit  to  Qyebec  would  bring  him  near  his  old 
friend,  Chaumonot,*  who  would  instruct  him,  and  pre- 

1  Relations,  1671. 

2  Saonchiogwa  represented  the  Cayuga  nation  at  the  first  council,  held  at  Onondaga 
in  1656,  to  consider  the  treaty  of  peace  with  the  French,  and  the  adoption  of  Chris- 
tianity  by  the  Iroquois;  and  he  was  one  of  the  chiefs  who  replied  favorably  on  this  occa* 
•Ion  to  the  propoMlf  of  Fathers  Chsiunonot  and  Dablon. 


mm 


156 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


pare  him  for  baptism  at  tiie  hands  of  the  Bishop.  As 
soon  as  he  had  fulfilled  his  duties  as  delegate  to  the  coun- 
cil he  gave  his  time  and  attention  to  the  care  of  his  soul, 
and  placed  himself  in  the  hands  of  Father  Chaumonot  for 
instructions.  As  he  had  been  the  host  of  Mesnard  and 
Carheil,  at  Cayuga,  and  had  carefully  listened  to  the 
truths  they  had  taught,  he  was  prepared  in  a  very  short 
time  for  admission  to  the  Church. 

So  sincere  seemed  Saonchiogwa  in  his  resolution, 
and  so  comprehensive  was  his  knowledge  of  Catholic 
teaching,  that  the  Bishop  did  not  hesitate  to  confer  on  him 
the  sacrament  of  baptism  in  the  C  thedral,  where  he  re- 
nounced the  Pagan  practices  of  s  race.  Talon,  the 
Intendant,  was  his  sponsor  at  baptism,  when  he  received 
the  Christian  name  of  Louis.  Talon  then  gave  a  grand 
banquet  in  honor  of  the  neophyte,  who  was  allowed  to 
invite  as  his  guests  all  the  Iroquois,  Hurons,  and  Algon- 
quins,  at  Quebec. 

Many  other  Iroquois  followed  the  example  of  Saon- 
chiogwa, and  came  to  Qyebec  where  they  could  be  in- 
structed in  Christianity  without  fear  of  molestation  from 
their  Pagan  friends;  and  some  of  these  remained  there, 
in  the  new  Indian  community,  after  their  reception  into 
the  Church,  "o  they  might  practice  their  religion  in  peace. 
Christianity  ^ank  deep  into  their  hearts  when  they  could 
sacrifi:  tiie  love  and  esteem  of  friends  and  fellow  coun- 
trymen, and  could  abandon  their  native  land  to  follow 
the  light  of  Faith.  One  generous  Christian  v^'idow,  who 
held  a  high  hereditary  rank^  of  importance  among  the 

I  These  were  called  Glanders  by  the  French,  and  their  office  was  of  the  same  import- 
ance as  that  of  the  Ancients  among  the  men.  The  office  was  hereditary,  but  it  was  re- 
tained only  by  common  consent  of  the  clans,  and  by  the  merit  of  the  individual.  They 
held  councils  to  discuss  state  aifairs,  and  their  opinions  were  generally  respected  by  the 
councils  of  the  league. 


RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY.  157 

Mohawks,  left  her  home  and  kindred  to  seek  more  re- 
ligious liberty  among  the  French,  and  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  satisfying  her  spirit  of  piety  and  devotion  in  a 
Christian  community.    She  was  degraded  from  her  rank,  y 

because  she  had  renounced  the  customs  of  her  country ;     >^s/y 
but  she  did  not  grieve  over  this  loss,  as  she  prized  more  ^ 

highly  the  name  of  Christian  than  the  title  of  Oiander. 


I      ;     \ 

•i   ■  • 
'I 


'i 


■Bm 


,C  ll! 


« 1 1 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MISSIONS  IN  THE  IROQUOIS  COUNTRY-Coatlaued. 

FEW  CONVERTS-CATHOLIC  IROQUOIS  EMIGRATE-FERVOR  AMONG 
THE  MOHAWKS-BRUYAS  AT  TIONNONTOGUEN-DRUNKEN- 
NESS-CONFERENCES  AT  ONEIDAHNFLUENCE  OF  SORCERERS- 
PAGAN  BELIEF-GARAKONTIE's  EXAMPLE-OBSTACLES  to  CON- 
VERSION-PRACTICE OF  MEDICINE-RAFFEIX  CHARMED  WITH 
CAYUGA-PIETY  AT  CAYUGA-CHAPELS  AMONG  THE  SENEGAS 
-FALSE  NOTIONS-OMENS  OF  EVIL. 

FATHER  Bruyas,  who  had  labored  for  nearly  five 
years  among  the  Oneidas,  was  made  Superior  of 
all  the  Iroquois  missions,  and,  with  Father  Boniface, 
he  attended  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Mohawks,  who, 
though  they  were  once  the  most  bitter  foes  of  the  French, 
were  now  the  most  docile  and  submissive  among  the 
nations.  The  number,  however,  of  healthy  adults  who 
became  Christians  was  small,  as  this  step  to  them  seemed 
a  renunciation  of  the  cherished  customs  and  the  traditions 
of  their  race;  and  those  who  did  embrace  the  Faith  felt 
obliged  to  leave  their  homes  in  the  pleasant  valley  and 
emigrate  to  some  of  the  Catholic  Indian  settlements  on 
the  St.  Lawrence.  This  year  fifteen  Christians  left  for 
the  Huron  settlements  of  Notre  Dame  de  Foi,  and  about 
fifty  more  had  their  canoes  ready  for  the  journey  when 
the  entreaties  of  their  relatives  and  friends,  and  the  con- 
viction that  their  departure  would  weaken  their  country 
in  the  war  with  the  Mohigans,  induced  them  to  remain, ' 
Father  Pierron  was  called  to  labor  among  the  Iroquois  at 


I  Relations  1672,  p.  18. 


'58 


FATHER  BONIFACE'S  LITTLE  CHAPEL. 


159 


the  new  mission  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  on  tlie  St.  Law- 
rence, Father  Fremin,  the  Superior,  having  gone  to  France 
in  the  interests  of  his  Catholic  Indian  settlement. 

Father  Boniface  had  his  little  chapel  at  Gandougarae, 
and  he  also  attended  the  neighboring  village  of  Ganna- 
garo.  His  people  were  very  devoted  to  the  Church,  and 
surpassed  all  the  missions  among  the  Iroquois  in  their 
fervor  and  zeal.  This  was  the  land'  which  had  been 
bathed  in  the  blood  oi  the  first  martyrs  among  the 
Iroquois,  and  the  missioner  ascribed  the  fruit  of  his  labors 
to  the  blessings  of  this  goodly  seed. 

Father  Bruyas  began  the  formation  of  a  little  church 
at  Tionnontoguen,  which  also  included  the  neighboring 
hamlets,  but  he  did  not  meet  with  the  same  success  which 
crowned  the  zeal  of  Father  Boniface  in  the  adjoining 
towns.  The  Christians  here  were  few  in  numbers  and 
void  of  influence,  being  mostly  slaves;  and  the  Pagans 
seemed  more  inclined  to  follow  the  counsels  of  the  Dutch 
than  to  accept  the  teaching  of  the  Jesuit. 

Bruyas  gave  his  leisure  hours  to  the  preparation  of  a 
work^  on  the  language,  which  would  enable  him  to  ac- 
quire a  more  exact  knowledge  of  the  dialect  spoken  by 
the  Mohawks,  and  which  might  serve  as  a  guide  to  future 
missionaries. 

The  doctrines  of  Christianity  were  so  generally  ac- 
cepted in  Father  Boniface's  mission,  and  the  people  were 
animated  by  such  a  Catholic  spirit,  that  he  began  receiv- 
ing the  adults  into  the  Church  who  were  not  in  immedi- 
ate danger  of  death.     In  ten  months  he  solemnly  baptized 

1  The  villages  had  been  removed  to  other  sites,  probably  twice  since  the  deaths  of 
Ren6  Goupil  and  Father  Jogues;  but  these  were  practically  the  same  people  who  had 
crowned  the  lives  of  these  saintly  persons  with  a  martyr's  death. 

2  This  was  called,  "Mohawk  Radicals,"  and  was  the  first  work  of  the  kind  ever 
written  on  this  branch  of  the  great  Iroquois-Huron  tongue. 


ti,'  -i 


160 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


about  thirty  adults;'  and  though  this  may  not  seem  a 
very  large  number,  yet  they  were  persons  upon  whose 
fidelity  he  could  depend,  and  their  adoption  of  Christianity 
showed  that  the  zeal  of  the  Father  was  gradually  wean- 
ing the  Mohawks  from  the  Pagan  rites.  Christian  maidens 
refused  to  accept  in  marriage  Pagan  youths  who  were 
known  to  be  opposed  to  the  Christian  law,  and  even  wives 
left  their  husbands  when  they  were  not  allowed  to  prac- 
tice their  religion  in  peace.  When  Christians  heard  of  the 
illness  of  one  of  their  brethren  they  assembled  at  his  cabin 
to  pray  with  him  for  a  speedy  recovery  or  a  happy  death. 

At  Christmas  time  Father  Boniface  built  a  little  crib 
in  his  chapel,  representing  the  Infant  Jesus  at  Bethlehem, 
and  around  this  the  children  came,  and  sang  the  hymns 
they  learned,  in  honor  of  the  Saviour. 

The  Mohawks  of  Tionnontoguen  did  not  respond  so 
generously  to  the  efforts  of  Father  Bruyas,  but  he  found 
an  ample  field  for  his  zeal  in  reclaiming  the  old  Christians 
who  had  relapsed  into  the  vices  and  customs  of  the 
Pagans. 

Peace  was  proclaimed  between  the  Mohigans  and 
the  Mohawks,  but  this  was  more  disastrous  to  the  latter 
than  war.  War  compelled  the  Mohawks  to  abstain  from 
liquor,  because  the  ways  to  the  Dutch  settlement  were 
beset  with  armed  bands;  and  they  feared,  moreover,  that 
their  drunken  carousals  would  leave  them  an  easy  prey  to 
their  wily  enemies-  As  soon  as  the  war  ceased  liquor 
was  again  brought  to  the  towns,  and  a  drunken  revelry 
began  which  ended  only  when  a  fatal  epidemic  swept 
over  the  nation.  The  disease  carried  off  its  victims  in  a 
few  days ;  and  the  Fathers  were  kept  busy  instructing 
the  sick  and  baptizing  the  dying. 

I  The  celebrated  chief,  AsoendasCv  was  converted  this  year,  and  he  edified  the  Chris- 
tians by  his  good  example. 


THE  FOLLY  OK  THEIR  FABLES. 


161 


In  the  Autumn  of  1671  whilst  the  young  men  of  the 
Oneida  nation  were  on  the  war-path  or  the  hunt,  Father 
Bruyas  invited  the  Ancients  to  meet  every  day,  at  a  con- 
venient hour,  to  listen  to  his  explanation  of  Christianity, 
and  to  learn  the  folly  of  their  fables.  Many  came  to  these 
conferences  through  curiosity,  others  came  to  pass  away 
the  time,  and  others  came  to  learn  something  of  Chris- 
tianity. One  of  the  Oneidas,  who  was  versed  in  the  tra- 
dition of  the  nation,  requested  the  honor  of  opening  the 
first  conference  with  a  recital  of  the  teachings  of  his  fore- 
fathers in  regard  to  the  creation  of  the  world.  The  fan- 
ciful fables  which  were  held  «3  important  truths  by  these 
people  were  easily  refuted  by  the  Father,  and  the  doc- 
trines of  Christianity  were  placed  in  such  a  strong  light 
that  the  Oneidas  came  more  willingly  to  be  instructed. 
At  the  end  of  each  conference  Bruyas  made  a  prayer  beg- 
ging of  God  the  grace  to  know  Him,  to  believe  in  Him, 
and  to  keep  His  commandments.  The  good  effect  of  the 
Father's  labors  was  manifest  in  the  warm  welcome  ac- 
corded him  in  the  cabins,  when  he  came  to  visit  the  sick. 
The  sorcerers,  however,  remdned  obstinately  inimical 
to  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  and  their  example 
greatly  retarded  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Death  did  not 
always  terminate  the  opposition  of  this  class  to  the  Faith, 
for  after  the  earthly  career  of  these  men  was  ended  their 
spirit  seemed  to  hover  over  the  people,  like  an  evil  genius 
impelling  to  evil.  One  of  the  Ancients  called  a  meet- 
ing of  the  councilors  to  discuss  a  dream  he  had,  in  which 
a  famous  sorcerer  appeared  to  him,  and  gave  him  advice 
regarding  the  defense  of  the  nation.  The  Andastes,  he 
said,  intended  soon  to  invade  the  land  with  a  great  army, 
and  the  only  hope  of  safety  for  the  nation  consisted  in 
placing  his  body  in  the  path  over  which  the  enemy  should 


ill 


162 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


,# 


pass.  Such  great  faith  did  the  people  have  in  this  sor- 
cerer's power  during  life  that  they  easily  believed  after 
death  he  could  guide  the  nation  to  weal  or  woe;  so  they 
exhumed  his  body,  and  placed  it  in  a  grand  mausoleum 
built  on  the  path  leading  to  the  home  of  the  Andastes. 

Father  Millet  replaced  Father  Bruyas  at  Oneida,  and 
he  was  very  favorably  impressed  with  the  good  disposi- 
tions which  the  people  manifested  towards  his  teaching. 
The  conferences  of  Father  Bruyas  were  generally  dis- 
cussed, and  many  were  convinced  of  the  reality  of  the 
pains  of  Hell  for  the  wicked  and  the  joys  of  Heaven  for 
the  just,  and  they  desired  to  escape  the  one  and  enjoy  the 
other  by  being  enrolled  among  the  members  of  the 
Church.  Many  Pagans  believed  in  the  efficacy  of  con- 
fession; and  about  forty  made  a  general  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  faults  to  the  Father,  who  took  advantage  of 
this  favorable  symptom  to  guide  them  to  the  practice  of 
moral  virtues  which  would  soon  lead  them  to  the  adop- 
tion of  Christian  belief. 

The  Oneidas,  like  the  Mohawks,  were  gradually  aban- 
doning the  worship  of  Agreskoue.  At  their  feasts  and  ban- 
quets the  priest  was  generally  invited  to  invoke  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  where  formerly  they  besought  Agreskoue,  or 
some  demon,  or  manitou,  to  preside  on  the  occasion. 

Many  of  the  more  intelligent  Oneida  Pagans  believed 
in  a  kind  of  metempsychosis,  in  which  their  souls  would 
again  appear  in  this  world  in  some  of  their  descendants. 
They  believed  that  after  death  the  soul  would  go  to  the 
happy  hunting  ground,  to  the  home  of  Thoronhiawagon ; 
but  they  were  so  attached  to  the  scenes  and  pursuits  of 
this  life  that  they  hoped  to  return  after  death  ;o  hunt  the 
deer  and  fight  their  foes,  and  this  desire  became  a  part  of 
their  belief.     Many  others  believed  they  could  not  go  to 


GARAKONTIE  SENT  AS  AN  AMBASSADOR. 


163 


eved 
^ould 
ants, 
o  the 
gon; 
its  of 
It  the 
art  of 
goto 


Heaven  without  the  assistance  of  the  Black  Robes.  These 
were  anxious  to  see  the  priest  when  they  were  ill,  and  they 
carefully  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  sacraments. 

Father  Millet  began  to  receive  healthy  adults  into  the 
Church,  and  he  had  bright  prospects  of  making  faithful 
Christians  out  of  the  greater  part  of  the  nation. 

The  example  of  Garakontie  gave  many  of  his  country- 
men more  confidence  in  Christianity,  and  they  attended 
more  assiduously  the  instructions  of  the  Fathers,  and  mani- 
fested a  better  religious  spirit  in  their  last  hours.  Gara- 
kontie would  not  take  part  in  any  of  the  superstitious  rites 
of  his  country,  and  openly  proclaimed  his  adherence  to  the 
Christian  faith.  He  was  dangerously  ill,  and  his  old  Pagan 
friends  endeavored  to  persuade  him  that  it  would  not  be 
wrong  to  try  the  old  method  of  healing.  He  refused,  how- 
ever, to  allow  the  medicine  men  to  use  their  mysterious 
arts  in  restoring  his  health;  and  he  protested  in  the 
presence  of  the  ancients  of  the  nation,  who  had  assembled 
to  bid  him  farewell,  against  the  use  of  any  superstitious 
rites.  He  afterwards  told  Father  Millet  that  he  was  too 
firmly  attached  to  his  faith  to  do  anything  forbidden  by 
the  commandments  of  God. '  Having  recovered  his  health, 
he  was  sometime  afterwards  sent  to  Montreal,  as  an  am- 
bassador from  the  Iroquois,  to  attend  a  council  of  the  Al- 
gonquins  and  French :  and  here  in  the  presence  of  five 
hundred  savages  of  different  nations  he  proclaimed  his 
Christian  faith,  and  told  them  he  once  lived  like  them- 
selves in  ignorance  of  the  true  God  and  a  worshiper  of 
dreams;  but  now  he  was  happy  in  the  faith  of  God  and 
the  hope  of  eternal  life,  and  he  exhorted  them  to  follow 
his  example  and  abandon  their  foolish  superstitions. 

I  The  medicine  men  did  perform  some  of  their  superstitious  rites  at  this  time  in  his 
cabin,  but  it  was  without  his  knowledge  or  •cmsent,  and  he  expressed  his  regret  to  Father 
Millet  that  such  a  rite  had  been  performed  in  his  home. 


M 


s^. 


^>.  ^a: 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


il.O 


I.I 


1.25 


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1.6 


1.4 


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rV 


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7 


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f ,,  -4^ 


Ss 


m  V 


f  ii^i 


••f 


164 


THE  1R0Q.U01S  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


When  Garakontie  returned  from  Quebec  he  found  one 
of  his  Pagan  relatives  very  ill,  and  he  hastened  to  the 
Father  to  seek  a  remedy  for  the  disease.  De  Lamberville 
told  him  that  his  body  was  past  healing,  but  he  would 
give  him  a  remedy  for  his  spiritual  malady.  This  man 
was  pleased  with  the  candor  of  the  Father,  and  although 
he  wished  to  go  to  the  country  of  souls,  where  he  be- 
lieved his  ancestors  to  be,  yet  he  was  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  was  soon  admitted  to 
the  Church. 

The  genius  of  the  Indian,  de  Lamberville  says,  is  to 
follow  no  law  but  his  own  will,  and  to  do  o.ily  what  his 
interests  or  wants  suggest.  He  cannot,  consequenfly, 
be  made  a  Christian  by  argument;  as  the  motives  of  c.edf- 
bility  seem  to  make  no  impression  on  his  mind.  He  can 
only  be  converted  by  two  means :  by  gold  and  by  iron ; 
he  must  be  won  by  presents,  and  held  by  force.  The 
fear  of  a  French  army,  or  the  hope  of  temporal  gain  has 
more  influence  upon  his  mind  than  the  arguments  of  the 
Fathers.  The  Iroquois  were  not  slow  to  perceive  the 
difference  in  religion  between  the  Freisch,  the  English, 
and  the  Dutch ;  and  as  these  Europeans  had  different  be- 
liefs, the  Indians  concluded  they  were  al'  wrong.  There 
were  many,  however,  who  understood  and  appreciated 
Christianity;  who  became  members  of  the  Church,  and 
led  exemplary  lives.  This  was  especially  true  of  women, 
who  had  more  time  to  learn  the  Christian  doctrine,  and  a 
greater  inclination  to  practice  its  precepts;  yet  there  were 
many  able  men,  like  Garakontie,  who  were  equally 
exemplary  in  their  lives  and  firm  in  their  attachment  to 
the  Church. 

The  prominent  men  among  the  Iroquois  who  became 
Catholics  must  necessarily  be  sincere,  as  they  were  obliged 


THE  PRACTICE  OF  MEDICINE. 


165 


Illy 
to 


to  renounce  the  traditions  of  their  race,  and  their  action 
created  a  feeling  against  themselves  which  often  resulted 
in  temporal  loss  or  social  dishonor. 

Father  de  Lamberville  understood  something  of  the 
practice  of  medicine,  and  he  was  often  able  to  render 
valuable  aid  to  the  sick  Onondagas.  He  relates  that  on 
one  occasion  the  medicine  men  were  endeavoring  to 
dispel  the  pain  of  a  toothache  with  their  magic  art,  as 
they  said  that  some  demons  had  taken  possession  of  the 
tooth  and  must  be  driven  out,  when  the  Father  extracted 
the  tooth  and  relieved  the  patient,  to  the  great  surprise 
of  an  admiring  throng. 

They  held  very  strange  notions  about  the  causes  of 
disease.  They  believed  that  evil  spirits,  or  Otki,  placed 
small  pieces  of  wood,  or  pebbles,  in  the  parts  of  the  body 
where  pain  was  located,  or  which  was  the  seat  of  disease. 
Hence,  cancer  was  a  pebble  inserted  in  the  flesh  by  an 
enemy,  or  an  Otki ;  rheumatism,  or  paralysis,  was  a  long 
stick  running  through  the  joints  and  the  nerves ;  and  the 
skill  of  the  medicine  men  and  sorcerers  was  directed 
towards  expelling  these  substances  by  counteracting  the 
power  which  had  inserted  them.  Sometimes  the  Onon- 
dagas sacrificed  a  dog  to  Agreskoue,  or  they  threw  tobacco 
into  the  fire,  to  propitiate  the  demons,  and  to  induce  them 
to  cease  tormenting  the  sick. 

Garakontie  gave  valuable  advice  to  the  Father  about 
the  character  and  disposition  of  the  people  who  sought 
admission  to  the  Church,  and  was  a  guide  and  councilor 
to  the  missioner  in  his  dealings  with  the  people. 

Father  Carheil'  went  to  Quebec  on  account  of  poor 
health,  in  1671,  and  Father  Raffeix  took  his  place  at  Cay- 
uga.    Father  Raffeix  was  charmed  with  the  beauty  of  the 

I  Father  Carheil  made  a  pilgrimage  to  St.  Ann,  at  Beaupre,  which  was  even  at  that 
time  celebrated.    Shea,  p.  394. 


%      •*    ■   ! 


166 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Cayuga  country,  the  most  delightful  he  had  seen  in 
America,  and  was  pleased  with  the  inhabitants,  whom 
he  thought  more  tractable  than  the  Onondagas  or  the 
Oneidas ;  but  he  did  not  think  that  they  were  yet  prepared, 
or  disposed,  to  enter  the  Church.  He  adopted  a  new 
method  of  teaching  Christianity,  by  setting  the  articles  of 
faith  to  music ;  and,  as  the  Indians  had  good  voices,  cor- 
rect ears,  and  a  love  for  music,  they  readily  learned  to 
sing  these  truths,  and  also  the  morning  and  evening 
prayers.  Although  he  had  no  consolation  or  society,  but 
a  sense  of  duty  and  the  presence  of  God,  yet  he  requested 
his  superiors  to  allow  him  to  remain  at  Cayuga ;  but,  as 
Father  Carheil  returned  to  his  mission  from  Quebec,  he 
proceeded  to  the  Seneca  country  to  assist  Father  Gamier. 

Father  Carheil  began,  in  1673,  to  administer  the  sac- 
rament of  baptism  to  persons  who  were  not  in  danger  of 
death.  He  believed  the  nation  was  favorably  disposed 
towards  Christianity,  and  there  was  already  a  sufficient 
number  of  fervent  Christians  to  encourage  the  neophytes 
to  persevere.  He  was  more  disposed,  also,  to  baptize 
healthy  adults  from  the  fact  that  many  of  these  people 
believed  that  baptism  was  a  seal  of  death,  for  many  of 
the  people  died  soon  after  receiving  the  sacrament. 

Examples  of  holy  lives  and  true  Christian  spirit  were 
to  be  found  at  Cayuga  as  well  as  among  the  other  Iro- 
quois nations ;  and  these  instances  were  not  confined  to 
the  old  men  or  the  women  of  the  nation,  but  the  young 
warriors  also  showed  they  could  appreciate  the  beauty 
and  worth  of  Christianity.  Such  lives  formed  the  great- 
est consolation  and  the  only  visible  reward  for  the 
Father's  zeal  in  this  otherwise  dreary  life. 

There  were  three  missions  among  the  Senecas, 
although  there  were  only  two  Fathers  to  attend  them. 


SUPERSTITIOUS  PRACTICES. 


167 


of 


Iro- 

to 

ing 

\\xxy 
;at- 
the 


leas, 
lein« 


Father  Raflfeix  took  charge  of  the  missions  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception  towards  the  end  of  July,  1672,  and  Father 
Gamier  attended  St.  Michael's  and  St.  James'.  There  was 
no  chapel  at  St.  James'  in  1672,  though  it  was  the  largest 
of  the  villages,  and  many  of  the  people  there  were  obliged 
to  go  to  St.  Michael's  on  Sundays  for  instruction  and 
mass. 

The  year  1673  was  one  of  the  most  peaceful  and 
prosperous  the  n  issioners  enjoyed  in  the  Seneca  country. 
The  Christians  were  faithful  in  attending  the  chapels  and 
in  receiving  the  sacraments.  The  Pagans  also  came  to 
hear  the  sermons  and  to  pray,  and  maiiy  of  them  would, 
no  doubt,  become  members  of  the  Church,  but  they  would 
not  abandon  the  superstitious  practices  of  their  race,  and 
especially  the  magic  of  the  medicine  men,  as  they  knew 
no  other  way  of  healing  the  sick. 

Gamier  was  so  busy  at  St.  Michael's  that  he  had  little 
time  to  attend  St.  James',  so  he  asked  for  another  Father 
to  take  charge  of  the  latter  mission ;  and  the  Rev.  James 
Pierron  came  as  the  first  resident  missioner  to  this  popu- 
lous town. 

Father  Gamier  says  that  **  it  is  not  immorality  or  vice, 
but  their  false  ideas  of  Christianity,  that  keeps  many  of  the 
Senecas  out  of  the  Church ;"  for  he  knows  more  than  two 
hundred  families  who  lead  comparatively  good  lives,  and 
who  would  make  exemplary  Christians.  Faith  is  a  gift  of 
God,  and  the  Father  continually  prays  that  it  will  be  given 
to  these  people. 

The  Hurons  of  St.  Michael's  believed  that  peace  be- 
tween the  Iroquois  f*n('  French  could  not  be  permanent, 
for  the  distant  rumblings  of  war  were  already  heard ;  and 
they  desired  to  leave  the  Seneca  country  and  join  their 
brethren  near  Quebec,  or  units  with  their  fellow  Christians 


168 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


■-  \M 


.'■^ 


at  the  new  settlement  near  Montreal,   in  forming  an 
Indian  Catholic  colony. 

The  confraternity  of  the  Holy  Family'  was  establish- 
ed in  all  of  the  missions,  and  effected  much  good,  as  i^ 
taught  the  neophytes  how  to  form  the  family  life  accord- 
ing to  the  model  Christian  home. 

The  conversions,  however,  were  not  very  numerous 
among  these  people,  and  there  was  an  undercurrent  of  ill 
will  to  ward's  the  missionaries  and  their  teaching  that  might 
break  into  open  violence  at  any  moment.  Some*  think 
this  hostility  arose  from  the  defeat  of  the  Iroquois  by  the 
Andastes,  while  others'  ascribe  it  to  the  influence  of  the 
Dutch  at  Albany,  who  in  1673  recovered  New  York  from 
the  English,  and,  desiring  to  preserve  their  ascendency 
over  the  Five  Nadons,  openly  advised  them  to  drive  the 
missionaries  from  their  country,  and  to  take  up  arms 
against  the  French. 

The  Pagan  Indians  persecuted  the  missionaries,  and 
labored  to  render  their  teachings  and  their  mission  odious; 
and  their  action  prevented  many  from  embracing  Christi- 
anity who  were  well  instructed,  and  who  were  free  from 
the  vices  of  their  race. 

When  the  English  regained  New  York,  they  claimed 
also  the  territory  of  the  Five  Nations,  and  the  Fathers 
realized  that  their  missions  among  the  Iroquois  must 
soon  come  to  an  end. 

From  1668  to  1678  the  missionaries  had  baptized 
2221  Indians,4  but  as  the  greater  number  of  these  were 
the  sick  and  dying  they  did  not  very  notably  increase  the 
Christian  congregations  in  the  Iroquois  villages. 

I  History  repeats  itself,  and  after  two  hundred  years  we  find  the  Bishops  of  the  prov« 
ince  of  New  Yorl<  urging  the  pastors  to  establish  this  confraternity  in  their  parishes, 
a  Relations.         3  Shea.         4  Shea,  p.  304. 


the 


prov 


CHAPTER  XVril. 

THB  MISSIONS  IN  THE  IROQUOiS  COUNTRY-Coatlaaed. 

FATHE-R  BONIFACE  RETIRES-CHIEF  ASSENDASE-STATUE  OF  BLESSED  . 
VIRGIN-BRUYAS  GOES  TO  ONONDAGA-PAGANS  DOMINANT  AT 
ONEIDA-CHRISTIAN  FAMILY  LIFE-CONVERTS  BECOME  APOS- 
TLES-HEALING THE  SICK-DEATH  OF  GARAKONTIE-CARHEIL'S 
PATIENCE-INTEREST  IN  SORCERY-PAGAN  PREACHES  CHRIS- 
TIANITY-SLAVES WILLING  CONVERTS-IROQUOIS  INVITED  TO 
MEET  GOVERNOR  FRONTENAC-FORT  CATAROQUOI-THE 
LIQUOR  EVIL-RUMBLINGS  OF  WAR. 

THE  mission  had  attained  a  state  of  settled  sameness; 
and  year  by  year  they  presented  the  same  features, 
varied  only  by  the  greater  or  less  element  of  dan- 
ger in  the  lives  of  the  missioners,  or  by  the  conversion  of 
some  noted  chief.  The  congregations  did  not  seemingly 
increase  in  numbers,  for  many  of  the  faithful  Catholics 
left  every  year  for  the  Prarie  or  Lorette,  and  many  others 
went  to  join  their  white  brethren  in  Heaven. 

Father  Boniface, '  among  the  Mohawks,  was  worn 
out  with  this  rude  life  and  excessive  labors,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  relinquish  his  work  to  seek  rest  among  his 
brothers  at  Quebec  The  Rev.  James  de  Lamberville 
came  to  the  lower  Mohawk  towns,  and  his  pleasant 
manner  and  ardent  zeal  enabled  him  to  continue  the  suc- 
cess of  his  predecessor. 
•  When  Father  Bruyas  had  formed  his  little  congrega- 
tion at  Tionnontoguen,  by  recalling  the  old  Christians  to 

I  Futher  Boniface  nev^r  entirely  recovered,  and  he  died  Septem^r  17,  1674. 


i-,  


lii :'' 


■9 


170 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


'  i  I 


their  duty,  the  Pagans  also  came  to  the  chapel  to  listen  to 
the  word  of  God.  The  knowledge  of  Christianity  grad- 
ually spread  among  the  people  and  many  were  convinced 
of  its  truth,  and  they  were  charmed  with  the  beautiful 
lives  which  were  formed  according  to  the  Father's  teach- 
ing. Among  the  prominent  Pagans  who  were  pleased 
with  the  new  life  v/as  the  chief  Assendase,  who  resolved 
to  cast  his  lot  with  the  little  band  of  Christians  at  Tion- 
nontoguen.  His  relatives  were  very  much  displeased 
with  his  determination  to  become  a  Christian,  and  they 
even  threatened  to  kill  him  unless  he  desisted,  but  he 
was  too  fearless  a  warrior  to  be  deterred  by  threats,  and 
he  told  those  who  assailed  him  to  kill  him  if  they  pleased, 
he  would  only  be  too  happy  to  die  in  such  a  cause.  The 
day  after  his  baptism  he  publicly  renounced  belief  in 
dreams  and  the  evil  customs  which,  as  a  Pagan,  he  had 
practiced,  and  he  even  refused  to  attend  the  gatherings  at 
which  dreams  were  discussed.  He  would  not  allow  the 
medicine  men  or  sorcerers  to  attend  him  when  he  was 
ill.  His  life,  he  said,  was  in  the  hands  of  God,  and  when- 
ever God  was  pleased  to  call  him  he  was  ready  to  go. 
His  death  in  August,  1675,  was  most  edifying,  and  it 
added  another  name  to  the  list  of  prominent  Mohawks 
who  entered  the  Church. 

Father  Bruyas  had  been  making  some  progress  at 
Tionnontoguen,  and  to  encourage  the  Christians  in  their 
devotions  he  obtained  a  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
which  he  set  up  in  his  little  chapel.  The  statue  was  un- 
veiled on  the  feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conceptioti,  De- 
cember 8,  1676,  and  the  Christians  sang  the  Litany  of  the 
Blessed  Virgiii  and  some  hymns  in  the  Mohawk  tongue, 
The  presence  of  the  statue  awakened  unusual  interest 
among  the  Pagans,  and  an  extraordinary  spirit  of  fervor 


FATHER  BRUYAS  WAS  SUPERIOR. 


171 


among  the  Christians,  and  the  latter  came  three  times  to 
the  chapel  the  first  day  to  sing  their  hymns  and  manifest 
their  love  for  the  Mother  of  God.  After  this  event  the 
Pagans  manifested  a  more  friendly  feeling  towards  the 
Christians,  and  they  came  in  greater  numbers  to  listen 
to  the  word  of  God. 

Father  Bruyas  was  superior  of  all  the  Iroquois  mis- 
sions, and  his  duties  required  him  to  exercise  a  super- 
vision over  the  other  missioners,  and  to  direct  them  in 
times  of  difficulty  or  danger.  When  concerted  action, 
therefore,  was  necessary  he  could  more  quickly  commun- 
icate with  the  different  Fathers  from  a  central  point  like 
Onondaga  than  he  could  from  his  remote  Mohawk  home; 
so  he  removed  in  1678  to  the  capital  of  the  league,  and 
Father  Vaillant  took  his  place  at  Tionnontoguen. 

The  instructions  given  by  Bruyas  at  Oneida,  and 
afterwards  continued  by  Millet,  had  been  made  so  inter- 
esting that  large  numbers  attended,  and  the  knowledge 
of  Christianity  was  quite  generally  diffused  among  all 
classes.  Pagan  influence  was  still  dominant,  however, 
and  it  was  not  easy  for  the  Christians  to  avoid  the  con- 
tagion of  bad  example  which  everywhere  surrounded 
them.  Like  their  brethren  among  the  Mohawks,  some 
of  the  Oneida  converts  believed  they  could  not  bring  up 
their  families  in  a  proper  manner  in  the  midst  of  vice;  so 
they  looked  anxiously  towards  LaPrarie  or  Lorette  as  their 
haven  of  hope.  They  had  the  example  of  their  pious 
countrywoman,  Catherine  Ganneaktena,  to  urge  them  to 
seek  a  new  home,  and  only  very  great  interest  or  family 
ties  could  induce  them  to  reii"!ain  in  a  Pagan  land.  One 
Christian  woman  had  three  daughters,  whose  lives  she 
wished  to  shield  from  the  vices  practiced  by  Pagan  youth. 
They  must  necessarily  mingle  at  Oneida  with  depraved 


ii-  i 


172 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


i 


i' 


Pagans,  and  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  keep  their  young 
lives  pure  in  the  midst  of  immoralities ;  so  she  took  her 
daughters,  her  mat,  and  some  food,  and  fled,  like  Lot  and 
his  family  from  the  ancient  Sodam. 

Father  Bruyas  labored  earnestly  to  instill  into  the 
minds  of  all  the  virtues  of  Christian  family  life,  and  to 
teach  Pagan  youth  the  value  of  virtue  and  the  sanctity  of 
marriage.  He  introduced  the  society  of  the  Holy  Family 
so  they  might  have  a  model  to  guide  them  in  establishing 
the  sacredness  of  home.  The  more  intelligent  Oneidas 
were  pleased  with  the  lives  led  by  the  good  Christians, 
and  many  were  convinced  that  the  teaching  of  the  Father 
would  promote  their  interests  in  time  and  eternity ;  and 
in  1676  Chief  Saonrese,  with  many  other  prominent  per- 
sons, became  members  of  the  Church.  The  converts  to 
Christianity  were  very  anxious  to  have  their  Pagan 
brethren  enjoy  the  blessings  which  the  new  life  brought 
to  themselves ;  and  whenever  they  heard  of  a  dying  child 
or  a  sick  adult  the  priest  was  notified  so  that  he  might 
visit  the  sick  to  instruct  or  baptize,  for  few  at  that  hour 
would  refuse  his  ministrations.  Many  a  time  would  the 
Father  be  forced  to  travel  miles  to  find  in  the  forest  some 
dying  Pagan,  or  visit  some  distant  fishing  station  to  bap- 
tize a  child. 

The  Iroquois  clung  to  the  sorcerers  because  they 
believed  these  could  cure  them  when  they  were  ill,  but 
when  they  found  that  the  sorcerers  were  powerless  to 
help  them  they  turned  to  the  priest  for  consolation.  At 
Onondaga  a  sick  chief  had  tried  in  vain  the  art  of  the 
sorcerers  to  regain  his  health,  and  then  he  turned  in  des- 
pair to  the  priest  for  the  same  purpose.  Father  de- 
Lamberville  told  him  that  his  body  was  past  healing, 
but  his  soul  was  also  sick,   and  it  must  be  healed  if 


THE  DEATH  OF  GARAKONTIE. 


173 


he  wished  to  be  at  peace  with  the  Master  of  Life  and  be 
happy  after  death.  The  chief  was  pleased  with  the 
Father's  frankness,  and  he  began  to  make  immediate 
preparations  for  death.  The  thought  of  death  did  not 
disturb  him,  for  he  believed,  with  the  Father's  guidance 
and  care,  he  would  reach  the  Christian  Heaven. 

There  were  many  noble  models  of  Christian  lives  at 
Onondaga  to  encourage  the  neophytes  to  persevere,  and 
to  console  them  for  the  sacrifices  they  made  in  the  prac- 
tice of  their  faith.  Some  of  the  converts  had  left  their 
homes  to  dwell  at  LaPrarie,  but  the  chiefs,  and  their 
friends,  tried  to  induce  them  to  return.  One  Onondaga 
Christian,  who  had  been  living  for  some  time  at  La- 
Prarie, followed  her  husband  to  their  old  home,  whither 
he  had  returned  at  the  solicitation  of  his  triends.  This 
man  had  been  a  catechumen  at  LaPrarie,  but  at  Onondaga 
he  joined  the  Pagans  in  their  drunken  orgies,  and  soon 
^d\\  back  into  their  old  vices  and  beliefs.  They  had  one 
son,  and  to  save  this  child  from  the  liquor  habit,  and  from 
the  degrading  vices  of  the  Pagans,  the  Christian  mother 
fled  again  to  LaPrarie,  and  left  her  husband  to  his  fate. 

The  Onondaga  mission  lost  its  most  famous  and 
most  faithful  convert  in  1676,  in  the  death  of  Garakontie. 
He  was  then  far  advanced  in  years,  and  he  contracted  a 
severe  cold  by  coming  some  distance,  in  a  storm,  to  at- 
tend the  midnight  mass."  When  he  realized  that  his  end 
was  near  he  begged  Father  deLamberville  to  prepare  him 
for  death.  He  gave  his  farewell  banquet ;  am  advise, 
the  nation  to  maintain  peace  with  the  French,  to  abandon 
their  superstitions,  and  to  become  Christians.*  He  wished 
to  be  buried  like  the  French,  in  a  plain  cofFm ;  and  he  re- 
quested the  Father  to  have  a  large  cross  erected  over  his 

I  Shea,  "The  Catholic  Church  in  Colonial  Days."       a  Relations  1673-9. 


\im 


.'i:i:vnii 


■  ^  ' 

'  '  . 

I  ■ 


mv 


fe'i;. 


■}M 


mm 


174  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

grave  to  remind  the  nations  that  he  died  a  Christian. 
Whenever  deLamberville  visited  him,  during  his  illness, 
they  prayed  together,  and  his  soul  passed  away  amid 
the  prayers  of  his  friends.  Scarcely  a  sin  sullied  his  soul 
after  he  entered  the  Church,  so  exact  was  he  in  the  ob- 
servance of  the  law  of  God ;  and  once,  when  he  became 
slightly  inebriated  with  wine,  he  made  a  public  apology 
for  his  unconscious  fault.'  DeLamberville  delivered  an 
address  at  his  grave,  extolling  his  virtues,  and  urging  his 
hearers  to  imitate  the  example  of  their  most  eloquent  and 
influential  chief. 

Father  Carheil  possessed  one  of  the  greatest  virtues  of 
the  Iroquois  rnissioner — the  virtue  of  patience — and  this 
enabled  him  to  gain  many  obstinate  souls  to  God.  He 
would  visit  the  sick  every  day  in  a  friendly  or  social 
manner  for  many  months,  doing  deeds  of  kindness,  and 
performing  the  most  menial  offices,  until  he  ^.^ined  the 
good  will  of  the  sufferer.  It  was  only  when  he  had  won 
the  affection  of  the  patient  that  he  spoke  of  the  soul,  and 
of  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  eternity.  He  visited  a 
sick  woman  every  day  for  two  months,  and  she  seemed 
pleased  with  his  kindly  interest  in  her  welfare,  but  as 
soon  as  he  spoke  to  her  about  religion  she  became  angry 
and  would  no  longer  listen  to  him.  The  Father  continued 
his  good  offices,  however,  and  one  day  when  she  seemed 
to  be  in  a  pleasant  mood  he  ventured  to  introduce  the 
tabooed  question;  she  immediately  became  excited,  and 
attempted  to  scratch  the  Father's  face,  but  her  weak  con- 
dition rendered  her  attack  harmless.  Carheil  returned  the 
next  day  and  told  the  sick  woman  she  hac  only  a  short 
time  to  live;  she  should,  therefore,  repent  of  her  sins,  and 
should  prepare  for  baptism.     Patience  triumphed  over 

I  He  believed  that  brandy  alone  was  intoxicating,  and  had  never  before  tasted  wine. 


CHRISTIAN  DEATH  OF  A  YOUNG  WARRIOR. 


175 


obstinacy,  and  the  persistent  zeal  of  the  Father  was  re- 
warded by  the  conversion  of  an  obdurate  soul.' 

The  happy  death  of  their  converts  was  the  Fathers' 
sole  reward  for  months  of  patient  waiting  and  care. 
Father  Carheil,  at  Cayuga,  found  in  the  happy  Christian 
death  of  a  young  warrior  ample  compensation  %r  months 
of  self-sacrifice  and  toil.  This  young  man  had  faithfully 
followed  the  instructions  of  the  Father,  and  he  was  gifted 
with  an  extraordinary  spirit  of  prayer.  During  his  last 
illness  he  wished  to  have  Father  Carheil  constantly  at  his 
side  so  they  might  converse  on  holy  things  and  pray  to- 
gether; and  when  his  soul  passed  away  it  was  accom- 
panied with  the  prayers  of  his  teacher  and  friend. 

Father  Gamier  had  convinced  the  people  of  Gandou- 
garae  of  the  evil  of  liquor  drinking,  and  drunkenness  was 
very  rare  in  the  town ;  but  the  Pagans  still  clung  to  their 
immoral  dances  and  sorcery,  and  attachment  to  these 
customs  withheld  many  from  the  Church.  The  Pagans 
knew  no  other  method  of  overcoming  Jisease  than  by 
sorcery,  and  the  medicine  men  and  sorcerers  made  a 
comfortable  living  by  this  means  of  healing;  so  they 
would  not  readily  abandon  these  customs  for  Christianity 
which  offered  them  no  pecuniary  compensation  in  return. 
Thorough  conviction,  thci  efore,  of  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
and  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  were  necessary  in  the  people 
to  lead  them  to  the  new  life. 

Some  believed  but  were  not  ready  to  make  the  sacri- 
fice which  their  conviction  enjoined.  An  intelligent 
Seneca,  for  instance,  urged  his  sick  relatives  to  become 
Christians,  because  then  they  would  be  worthy  of  Heaven. 
He  was  not  a  Christian  himself,  he  said,  but  he  had  ex> 
amined  the  teachings  of  the  Black  Robes,  and  he  was 

I  Relations  1673-9. 


arat 


176 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


'mm 


convinced  that  they  taught  the  truth.  He  was  not  yet 
prepared  to  abandon  his  old  habits,  but  some  day  he 
would  enter  the  Church.  The  Fathers  found  their  most 
fertile  field  among  the  captives  and  slaves ;  because  the 
lives  of  these  were  not  linked  with  the  traditions  of  their 
masters,  nor  were  their  habits  formed  by  the  customs  of 
the  Iroquois.  They  had  not  the  opposition  of  relatives 
'ind  friends  to  encounter  in  embracing  Christianity  nor 
would  they  lose  prestige  by  their  new  life.  Christianity, 
moreover,  consoled  them  in  their  present  miserable  life 
and  promised  them  happiness  in  the  future. 

Intelligent  men  among  the  Senecas  believed  in  the 
doctrines  taught  by  the  missioners,  but  they  knew  it 
would  be  well  nigh  impossible  to  live  up  to  this  teaching 
amid  dissolute  Pagan  environments.  Those  who  resolved 
to  accept  the  Gospel  looked  to  a  life  at  one  of  the  Catholic 
settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence  as  their  only  hope;  but 
this  meant  the  loss  of  their  rights  as  members  of  the 
Seneca  nation  and  the  Iroquois  league,  and  few  were 
willing  to  make  this  sacrifice. 

The  Iroquois  finally  vanquished  the  Andastes,  after  a 
long  and  stubbornly  contested  war,  and  the  subsequent 
peace  gave  the  victorious  Senecas  leisure  to  look  about 
for  new  enemies  to  conquer.  They  looked  with  disfavor 
upon  the  encroachments  of  the  French.  They  had  not 
forgotten  that  Ononto  sailed  up  the  river  with  an  armed 
band  to  show  them  the  feasibility  of  an  invasion,  and  the 
new  fort  at  Cataroquoi  seemed  a  menace  to  their  liberties. 

LaSalle  was  sent  by  the  Governor,  in  May,  1673,  to 
Onondaga"  to  allay  any  fear  the  Iroquois  might  have  that 
the  new  fort  was  designed  as  an  instrument  of  war.     He 

I  LaSalle  was  advised  to  visit  the  other  nations  also,  if  he  considered  his  presence  In 
th.se  places  necessary.    He  visited  the  Se'iecas,  and  spent  some  time  in  their  towns. 


THE  NEW  GOVERNOR. 


177 


to 
at 
ie 

In 


was  instructed  to  invite  the  Iroquois  to  send  delegates  to 
meet  the  Governor  at  Keute,'  where  they  could  greet  the 
new  Governor,  and  could  ratify  all  ti.e  treaties  made  with 
the  former  representatives  of  the  King  of  France.  About 
two  hundred  Iroquois  came;  and  at  the  meeting  in  July, 
1673,  the  Governor  told  them  he  intended  to  build  a 
storehouse  on  the  spot  which  would  serve  as  a  trading 
post,  where  they  could  exchange  thetr  furs  for  French 
merchandise.  He  also  advised  them  as  a  father  to  accept 
the  teaching  of  the  Black  Robes  who  dwelt  in  their  towns, 
and  to  become  Christians,  so  they  might  be  more  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  interests  of  the  French. 

The  object  of  this  assembly  was  evidently  to  gain  the 
good  will  of  the  Iroquois,  and  to  divert  their  trade  from 
the  Dutch  and  English  at  Albany  to  the  French  merchants, 
who  would  establish  their  stores  on  the  site  of  the  new 
fort. 

The  following  year  the  French  transferred  the  title  of 
the  fort*  to  LaSalle,  on  condition  that  he  should  indemnify 
the  government  for  the  amount  already  expended,  should 
keep  a  garrison'  of  twenty  men,  and  should  build  a  church 
within  two  years.  The  fort  became  another  one  of  those 
trading  posts  which  wrought  such  demoralization  among 
the  Pagans. 

The  custom  of  drinking  strong  liquor  was  the  greatest 
evil  introduced  by  Europeans  to  the  Indians  of  North 
America.  The  Indians  depended  upon  the  hunt  for  the 
furs  which  supplied  their  families  with  comfortable  cloth- 

I  There  was  a  Sulpician  mission  at  Keute.  Tlie  council  was  not  held  here,  however; 
the  Governor  changed  the  meeting  place  to  the  site  of  the  new  fort. 

a  The  place  was  first  called  Fort  Cataroquoi,  but  LaSalle  changed  this  to  ^.<.  itenac  in 
honor  of  his  patron. 

3  Frontenac  had  no  soldiers  to  garrison  the  fort,  hence  th*  king  of  French  was  more 
willing  to  transfer  it  to  laymen,  and  relieve  the  colonists  from  th!s  unnecessary  burden  and 
expense. 


178 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


ing,  and  which  formed  the  chief  staple  of  trade;  but 
when  they  began  to  barter  their  furs  for  liquor  their  fam- 
ilies began  to  suffer,  and  want  and  crime  increased  in  the 
land.  Not  only  furs  but  everything  of  marketable  value 
was  given  for  drink :  the  hunt  was  abandoned  for  they 
had  no  arms ;  the  fishing  was  neglected,  because  the  time 
was  spent  in  drunken  riot. 

The  Fathers  fought  strenuously  against  the  liquor 
traffic  with  the  Dutch ;  and  they  succeeded  in  restraining 
the  Christians  from  this  habit,  and  they  even  lessened 
the  evil  among  the  Pagans,  but  they  encountered  a  for- 
midable obstacle  in  the  French  traders.  The  Dutch  were 
not  Catholics,  and  they  were  not  supposed  to  refrain 
from  selling  liquor  to  Indians  at  the  command  of  priests ; 
but  the  French  Catholic  merchants  pursued  the  traffic  in 
defiance  of  the  Church,  and  their  example  weakened  the 
force  of  the  priests'  counsel  against  the  practice,  and  the 
evil  spread  through  the  land.  In  vain  did  the  Bishop  of 
Quebec  plead  with  these  merchants  to  desist,  and  he  even 
inflicted  the  penalties  of  the  Church  when  they  refused  to 
obey :  the  trade  had  the  sanction  of  the  civil  authorities, 
and  it  would  continue  to  flourish  as  long  as  there  were 
large  profits  and  a  ready  market  The  Coureurs  du  Bois 
were,  in  many  cases,  itinerant  rum-sellers,  who  carried 
liquor  to  the  dwellings  of  the  Indians  when  they  were 
unable  to  reach  the  trading  posts.  The  only  restraint 
upon  the  Iroquois  in  the  liquor  evil  was  the  influence  of 
the  Fathers,  and  this  was  on  the  wane,  because  the 
younger  warriors  were  opposed  to  the  encroachments  of 
French  domination. 

The  great  Garakontie  had  ever  been  the  steadfast 
friend  of  France.  In  the  Iroquois  councils  he  had  ever 
pleaded  for  alliance  with  the  French;  but  now  that  his 


■Jijiin    -,i,iiM 


THE  COMING  STORM.  X79 

voice  was  still  in  death  France  had  no  friend  to  champion 
her  cause  among  the  Five  Nations.  Opposition  to  the 
presence  of  the  Fathers  had  been  increasing;  they  had 
been  maltreated  on  several  occasions,  and  they  began  to 
prepare  for  the  coming  storm. 


ill 'J  ^ 


|r 


I: 

p 

i 

t 

i! 

1 

ij 


m 


•l-lvirpia 


iK^ 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CONCLLSION  OP  TUB  MISSIONS  IN  THE  IROQUOIS  COUNTKY. 

DUTCH  INDIFFERENT  TO  INDIAN  ADVANCEMENT-ENGLAND  AND 
FRANCE  RIVAL  POWERS  FOR  DOMINION-THE  FUR  TRADE- 
FRENCH  MISSIONARIES  DIVERT  TRADE  FROM  THE  ENGLISH- 
EFFORTS  TO  COUNTERACT  THE  MISSIONERS'  INFLUENCE- 
DONGAN  PROMISES  ENGLISH  PRIESTS  IF  IROQUOIS  WILL 
BANISH  FRENCH-IROQUOIS  VALUABLE  ALLIES-BOTH  ENGLISH 
AND  FRENCH  CLAIM  TERRITORY  OF  THE  IROQUOIS-IROQUOIS 
DIVIDED  IN  FEALTY-CHRISTIAN  IROQUOIS  LEAVE  THEIR 
HOMES-MISSIONERS  LEAVE  THE  MOHAWKS-CLOSE  OF  THE 
MISSION-SENECAS'  INTERESTS  PROMOTED  BY  ALLIANCE  WITH 
ENGLISH-DECEIVED  BY  LA  SALLE-GOVERNOR  DE  LA  BARRE 
INVITES  IROQUOIS  TO  A  COUNCIL-GOVERNOR  DONGAN  IN- 
VITES THEM  TO  ENGLISH  COUNCIL-THREATENED  WAR 
FORCES  FATHERS  TO  LEAVE-DE  LAMBERVILLE  THE  INNO- 
CENT INSTRUMENT  OF  DECEIT-DENONVILLE  INVADES  SENECA 
COUNTRY-SENEGAS  RETALIATE-IROaUOIS  UNITE  WITH  EN- 
GLISH IN  WAR  AGAINST  FRANCE-MILLET  PRISONER  AT 
ONEIDA-PEACE-IROQUOIS  REQUEST  MISSIONERS  TO  RETURN 
-CATHOLIC  PRIESTS  BANISHED  FROM  NEW  YORK  STATE  BY 
ENGLISH  LAW-PATHERS  RETURN-CLOSE  OF  MISSIONS. 

WHEN  the  Dutch  took  possession  of  the  country 
between  the  Iroquois  region  and  the  sea,  and 
established  trading  posts  at  Manhattan'  and 
Renselaerswick,^  they  entered  into  an  alliance  with  the 
Iroquois,  which  continued  firm  and  friendly  until  Dutch 
power  was  supplanted  by  British  rule.  The  honest  Hol- 
landers were  content  to  barter  their  rum,  their  fire-arms, 
and  their  trin!"*.s,  with  the  Iroquois  for  the  valuable  furs 

I  Mew  York,      a  Albany.  t8o 


THE  ENGLISH  TAKE  POSSESSION  OF  NEW  YORK. 


181 


furs 


which  these  obtained  in  the  hunt;  and  they  did  not  exert 
themselves  to  teach  the  Indians  the  arts  of  civilized  life, 
or  the  religion  of  Christ. 

When  the  French  mis?ionaries,  therefore,  first  came 
to  the  Iroquois  cantons  the  easy  going  Dutch  were  indif- 
ferent to  their  presence,  except  to  make  some  disparaging 
remarks  to  the  Indians  about  the  work  and  teachings  of 
the  Fathers,  or  to  intercede  for  them  when  they  were 
captives  in  danger  of  death. 

The  English  got  possession  of  New  York  in  1^64, 
and  they  immediately  gained  the  good-will  of  the  Iroquois 
by  acts  of  kindness,  and  by  a  treaty  which  was  never 
directly  broken. 

England  and  France  were  the  great  rival  powers  of 
Europe ;  and  they  were  at  continual  war  for  supremacy 
and  an  extension  of  their  sway.  They  brought  their 
quarrels  with  them  to  the  New  World,  and  both  nations 
struggled  and  intrigued  for  the  allegiance  and  friendship 
of  the  Iroquois  Indians.  The  English  resorted  to  diplo- 
macy and  intrigue  to  attain  their  end ;  whilst  the  French 
tried  to  overawe  the  Iroquois  with  their  power,  and  to 
reduce  them  to  subjection  by  force  of  arms. '  The  benefit 
which  England  and  France  hoped  to  obtain  from  alliance 
with  the  Iroquois,  was  a  monopoly  of  trade  with  those 
nations  in  time  of  peace,  and  their  support  in  war. 

Explorers  and  discoverers,  after  Columbus,  had 
visited  different  parts  of  the  New  World  in  search  of 
wealth  and  fame,  and  they  soon  found  that  the  most  ac- 
cessible riches  were  the  valuable  furs  they  could  purchase 
from  the  various  Indian  nations,  with  the  cheap  commo- 
dities of  civilized  life.  French  enterprise  soon  secured  a 
monopoly  of  the  trade.    Along  the  waters  of  the  St 

I  Golden. 


■PR 


If 


182 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Lawrence  and  the  Ottawa  rivers  for  hundreds  of  miles, 
their  daring  traders  sped  in  search  of  furs,  whilst  the 
rnissioners  kept  pace  with  them  in  quest  of  souls.  The 
Indians  soon  learned  the  importance  of  the  fur  trade,  and 
every  stream  leading  to  the  French  trading  posts,  that 
would  carry  their  light  bark  canoes  on  its  bosom,  bore 
many  a  load  of  rich  furs  destined  for  the  European  mar- 
kets. The  only  way  of  transporting  these  goods  was  by 
the  rivers  and  lakes  that  led  to  the  trading  posts  that  had 
been  established  along  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and 
the  Hudson  rivers.  Often  they  encountered  falls  in  the 
rivers,  or  they  came  to  an  end  of  the  lake;  but  their 
canoes  were  light,  and  two  men  could  carry  them  on 
their  shoulders  over  the  portages,  whilst  some  of  the 
party  carried  the  furs  in  the  same  manner.  The  trans- 
portation of  large  quantities  of  furs  would  have  been  im- 
possible except  by  the  Indian  method  along  the  water 
routes,  as  there  were  no  beasts  of  burden  in  the  country, 
nor  any  roadways  but  the  narrow  trail  through  the  forests 
that  the  Indian  used  in  hunting  or  in  war. 

The  French  early  established  trading  posts  at  Quebec, 
at  Three  Rivers,  and  at  Montreal,  and  these  were  the 
most  convenient  points  of  barter  for  large  quantities  of 
furs  in  the  New  World.  To  these  places  every  year 
with  their  fur-laden  canoes  came  the  Abnakis  of  the 
present  Eastern  States ;  the  great  Algonquin  family,  whose 
numerous  tribes  extended  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi; the  Montagnais  of  Lower  Canada;  the  Hurons 
from  Georgian  Bay;  the  Nippisiriens,  the  Ottawas,  the 
Petuns  and  the  Tionnontates  of  the  North  and  West; 
and  an  occasional  Iroquois  party,  bent  more  on  taking 
scalps  than  bartering  peltry. 

The  most  valuable  fur  was  the  beaver;  and,  as  these 


THE  FUR  TRADE. 


183 


ling 


were  rare  in  the  land  cf  the  Iroquois,  large  bands  of 
well-armed  warriors  from  the  different  nations  of  the 
league  invaded  the  territory  of  their  neighbors  in  search 
of  the  valuable  beaver. 

Other  nations  were  not  disposed  to  submit  tamely  to 
these  encroachments  of  the  Iroquois  on  their  hunting 
grounds,  but  attempted  to  repel  these  poachers  by  force. 
This  led  to  many  petty  wars;  and  as  the  French  had 
secured  the  friendship  of  the  most  important  fur-trading 
tribes,  they  became  involved  in  these  quarrels,  as  they 
furnished  arms  to  their  allies  to  protect  their  trade  in  furs. 

The  Iroquois  sold  their  deer  and  bear  skins  to  the 
Dutch  or  the  linglish  at  Albany ;  and  these  encouraged 
them  in  their  depredations  on  the  beaver  territory  of  their 
neighbors;  and,  consequently,  prejudiced  them  against 
the  French. 

The  English  wished  to  secure  this  trade,  as  they 
could  sell  the  stronds  and  duffels  of  the  Indian  trade 
much  cheaper  than  the  French ;  but  the  acute  diplomacy 
of  the  latter  kept  the  fur-trading  nations  at  war  with  the 
Iroquois,  so  that  they  could  not  bring  their  furs  to  Al- 
bany, through  the  territory  of  their  enemies. 

The  French  missioners  wielded  considerable  influ- 
ence over  the  actions  of  the  Indians,  and  they  would 
naturally  counsel  the  Iroquois  to  trade  with  their  fellow- 
countrymen  along  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  English  and 
the  Dutch  believed  that  the  presence  of  the  French  mis- 
sionaries was  an  obstacle  to  their  trade  with  the  Indians, 
and  they  used  means  to  banish  them  from  the  Iroquois 
country. 

Governor  Dongan  of  New  York  asked  authority  from 
tht  King  of  England  to  erect  forts  upon  the  Delaware, 
the  Susquehanna,  and  the  Niagara  rivers ;  to  assist  the 


III 


184 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Iroquois  in  their  forays  upon  the  beaver  territory  of  their 
neighbors;  to  protect  the  Indians  who  wished  to  trade 
with  the  English;  and  to  secure  British  right  to  these 
regions.  He  says  the  French  claim  as  far  as  the  Bay  of 
Mexico :  "  For  which  they  have  no  other  argument,  than 
that  they  had  possession  this  twenty  years,  by  their 
Fathers  living  so  long  among  the  Indians.  They  have 
Fathers  still  among  the  Five  Nations,  and  have  converted 
many  of  them  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  done  their  utmost 
to  draw  them,  to  Canada,  where  there  are  already  six  or 
seven  hundred,  and  more  like  to  go,  to  the  great  preju- 
dice of  this  government  if  not  prevented.  I  have  pre- 
vailed with  the  Indians  to  consent  to  comj  back  from 
Canada,  on  condition  that  I  procure  for  them  a  piece  of 
land,  and  furnish  them  with  priests.  I  have  procured 
the  land  and  have  promised  the  Indians  that  they  shall 
have  priests,  and  that  I  will  build  them  a  church. 

"  By  that  means  the  French  priests  will  be  obliged 
to  retire  to  Canada  whereby  the  French  will  be  divested 
of  their  pretence  to  the  country,  and  then  we  shall  enjoy 
that  trade  without  any  fear  of  being  diverted."' 

The*  priests  promised  by  Dongan  never  came,  but  in 
their  stead  came  some  Protestant  ministers,  who  labored 
for  a  time,  with  indifferent  success,  among  the  Iroquois. 

England  and  France  were  rival  powers  in  Europe, 
and,  on  several  occasions,  their  hostilities  had  been  trans- 
ferred to  their  colonies  in  the  New  World.  At  such 
times  each  government  employed  the  Indians  as  guides 
to  lead  them  through  the  forests,  or  as  scouts  to  discover 
the  hidden  strongholds  or  ambushes  of  the  enemy,  and 
as  the  Indians  learned  the  use  of  fire-arms  they  became 
valuable  allies  or  most  formidable  foes. 

1  Govemoi-  Dongan's  report  on  the  state  of  the  Province. 

2  Dongan  asked  for  priests,  and  three  English  Jesuits  were  sent  to  New  Yoric,  where 
they  started  a  Latin  school.    Doc.  Hist.  N.  Y. 


GOVERNOR  OF  NEW  YORK. 


185 


The  Iroquois  were  the  most  powerful  and  warlike 
of  all  the  North  American  Indians,  and  their  supremacy 
was  acknowledged  by  all  the  nations  within  hundreds 
of  miles  of  their  homes.  Their  territory  lay  between  the 
English  possessions  in  the  South  and  the  French  colonies 
of  Canada,  and  their  friendship  would  be  very  valuable 
in  the  event  of  war  between  these  two  nations.  The 
English  feared  the  ascendency  of  French  influence  over 
the  Iroquois  through  the  presence  of  the  French  priests, 
and  they  began  to  discredit  their  mission,  and  to  intrigue 
for  their  banishment  from  the  Iroquois  country.  The 
Fathers  induced  the  Iroquois  to  make  peace  with  the 
Indian  allies  of  the  French,  so  that  these  would  be  free  to 
bring  their  furs  to  the  French  trading  posts ;  whilst  the 
English  wished  them  to  make  war  on  these  Indians,  to 
destroy  this  trade  and  to  divert  the  Iroquois  from  attack- 
ing the  English  colonies  of  Maryland  and  Virginia. 

Shortly  after  Dongan  became  Governor  of  New  York, 
he  claimed  all  south  of  the  lakes  as  English  territory,  and 
wished  to  make  the  Iroquois  acknowledge  allegiance  to 
the  Crown  of  England.  He  well  knew  that  Indian  inde- 
pendence would  not  brook  such  a  burden,  so  he  taught 
them  that  English  supremacy  was  necessary  to  protect 
them  from  the  attacks  and  rapacity  of  the  French.  He 
had  the  arms  of  the  Duke  of  York  placed  over  the  castles 
of  the  Iroquois,  and  he  told  them  the  French  would  not 
dare  to  attack  their  towns  while  they  bore  the  symbol  of 
British  rule. '  Though  a  Catholic  himself,  he  advised  the 
Iroquois  to  expel  the  French  Jesuits  from  their  land,  and 
he  would  send  them  English  priests  to  teach  them  Chris- 
tianity.*   He  also  urged  them  to  bring  back  their  breth- 

I  Golden. 

a  O'Callaghan  thinks  Dongan  was  sincere  in  promising  English  priests,  as  the  Eng- 
lish register  of  the  Jusuits  shows  that  the  priests  of  the  order  were  in  New  York  In  1685-^ 


1 

t 

1' 

1 

186 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUlTs. 


ren  from  the  Catholic  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence ; 
and  he  offered  them  assistance  and  protection  if  they 
would  settle  near  the  waters  of  Saratoga  Lake. 

Although  the  Christian  Iroquois  had  the  greatest 
faith  in  their  missionaries,  and  the  greatest  love  and  rev- 
erence for  their  persons;  yet  the  Pagans  cherished  the 
memory  of  many  hostile  deeds  against  the  French,  and 
they  were  disposed  to  cast  their  lot  with  the  English,  and 
banish  the  French  Fathers  from  their  land. 

Some  Frenchmen  had  murdered  and  robbed  six  Iro- 
quois— three  men,  two  women,  and  a  child — near  Mon- 
treal, on  account  of  the  valuable  furs  they  possessed,  and 
shortly  after  some  soldiers  murdered  and  robbed  a  Seneca 
chief  for  the  same  reasons;  and  although  the  Governor 
had  these  murderers  put  to  death,  yet  the  Iroquois  did 
not  forget  these  deeds,  and  they  attacked  a  French  fort 
in  Illinois. 

The  Mohawks  and  the  Senecas  seemed  to  be  more 
especially  under  the  influence  of  English  agents,  while 
the  other  nations  were  disposed  to  side  with  the  French. 

The  Christian  Iroquois  could  not  preserve  their  faith 
in  the  presence  of  the  bad  example,  and  the  vices  of  their 
Pagan  brethren,  and  in  the  face  of  the  opposition  of  the 
English  and  Dutch  when  the  missionaries  would  be 
driven  from  the  field;  so  the  Fathers  induced  many  of 
their  spiritual  children  to  abandon  their  homes,  and,  in 
many  cases,  their  kindred,  and  to  emigrate  to  the  new 
Catholic  Indian  settlements  near  Montreal,  where  they 
would  be  free  to  practice  their  religion  and  worship  God. 

Large  numbers  from  the  different  nations  settled  at 
these  places  and  formed  communities  which  gave  to  the 
Church  many  saintly  lives,  and  to  the  world  noble  exam- 
ples of  eminent  virtue.    This  desertion  of  the  Catholic 


KRYN  BECAME  A  CHRISTIAN. 


187 


Iroquois  from  their  country  aroused  the  anger  of  the 
Pagans  against  the  Fathers,  because  it  weakened  the 
power  of  their  race,  and  was  opposed  to  the  policy  of  the 
league. ' 

The  English,  also,  actuated  by  motives  of  self-inter- 
est, urged  the  Iroquois  to  oppose  this  emigration,  and  to 
treat  the  deserters  as  traitors  to  their  race. 

The  Mohawks  were  more  directly  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  English  than  the  other  Iroquois,  and  it  was 
from  this  nation  also  that  the  greatest  number  of  defec- 
tions took  place.  The  wife  of  Kryn,  the  gicat  Mohawk 
chief,  became  a  Christian,  and  to  escape  the  anger  of  her 
lord  she  went  to  live  at  the  new  mission  at  Prarie  le  Made- 
leine. Kryn  wandered  away  through  the  forest,  part  in 
anger,  part  in  sorrow,  till  he  came  to  the  new  commu- 
nity on  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  he  was  so  enchanted 
with  the  strange  und  beautiful  lives  of  these  neophytes 
that  he,  too,  begged  to  be  received  as  a  member.  After 
receiving  baptism  he  returned  to  the  Mohawk  country, 
where  he  induced  about  forty  of  his  fellow-countrymen, 
mostly  Christians,  to  leave  their  native  land  and  emigrate 
to  the  Prarie.  There  were  very  few  Christians  left  in  the 
Mohawk  country  in  1679,  and  Father  Bruyas,  the  super- 
ior of  the  Iroquois  missions,  found  that  prejudice  was  so 
strong  against  him  that  his  influene  was  destroyed,  and 
as  he  was  in  danger  of  death,  with  the  Rev.  James  de 
Lamberville,  he  retired  to  Onondaga.  The  Rev.  Francis 
Vaillant  de  Gueslis,  however,  remained  at  Tionnnonta- 
guen  until  1681,  when  the  inimical  influence  of  the  En- 
lish  forced  him  to  leave.  Most  of  the  Christians  had 
abandoned  their  Mohawk  homes  for  the  new  Catholic 
settlements  along  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and  with  the 

I  It  was  the  policy  of  the  league  to  increase  their  numbers  by  the  adoption  of  captives. 


^sm 


188 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


I 

■  •  .ll 

;  i 

■.■H'».-r| 


departure  of  the  Fathers  the   Mohawk   mission   of  Our 
Lady  of  Martyrs  was  closed  forever. 

The  Seneca  towns  were  the  most  distant  from  the 
French  settlements,  and  as  the  Senecas  did  not  engage 
very  extensively  in  the  fur  trade  they  '''^  not  often  come 
in  friendly  contact  with  the  French,  ai  :.  ^y  were,  con- 
sequently, but  lightly  swayed  by  the  brilliant  authority  of 
Onontio.' 

The  Seneca  regie  n  was  very  fertile,  producing  im- 
mense quantities  of  corn,  which  the  Senecas  bartered  with 
the  neighboring  nations  for  the  furs  which  were  so  rare  in 
their  own  land.  They  made  war  upon  the  Indian  nations 
that  traded  with  the  French,  and  as  these  obtained  their 
fire-arms  at  Quebec  and  Montreal,  the  Senecas  naturally 
looked  upon  the  French  as  the  enemies  of  their  race. 
The  Senecas  made  war  upon  the  fur-trading  nations  of 
Western  and  Northern  Canada,  and  intercepted  their  rich 
fur-laden  canoes  on  their  way  to  the  trading  posts  on  the 
St.  Lawrence. 

The  English  encouraged  the  Senecas  in  this  warfare, 
and  furnished  them  with  fire-arms  at  a  mere  nominal 
cost,  to  weaken  the  influence  of  the  French,  and  to  des- 
troy their  fur-trade,  or  divert  part  of  it  to  the  English 
posts  on  the  Hudson. 

When  LaSalle  came  to  the  Niagara  River  in  1678, 
with  Father  Hennepin  and  a  number  of  rhen,  to  build  the 
first  vessel  to  sail  the  upper  lakes,  he  sought  by  treaty 
or  by  guile  to  secure  permission  from  the  Senecas  to 
erect  a  fort  on  the  river  to  protect  his  prospective  trade 
with  the  West.  He  soon  learned  that  the  Senecas  would 
not  allow  a  fort  to  be  er«cted  on  their  domain ;  so  he  be- 
guiled them  with  the  belief  that  he  merely  intended  to 

I  The  Indian  name  for  the  Governor  of  Canada. 


THE  SENEGAS  WERE  NOT  FRIENDLY. 


189 


erect  a  shop  in  which  they  might  find  a  blacksmith,  who 
would  repair  their  guns  and  manufacture  for  them  the 
iron  implements  of  war.  He  erected  a  building,  but  it 
was  Intended  for  a  storehouse,  which  could  easily  be 
converted  iato  a  fort  if  he  were  successful  in  his  expedi- 
tion on  the  upper  lakes.  The  Senecas  viewed  with  alarm 
the  building  of  the  Griffon,  which  appeared  to  them  as 
an  immense  war  canoe ;  as  they  saw  in  this  an  extension 
of  the  power  ot  the  French  and  an  enlargement  of  their 
trade  with  the  western  nations,  so  they  attempted  more 
than  once  to  burn  the  vessel  before  it  was  complete.  No 
blacksmith  remained  to  repair  their  guns  when  the  Grif- 
fon sailed;  and  when  they  saw  they  were  received,  they 
retaliated,  some  time  after,  by  burning  the  quarters  La- 
SalleUntended  for  a  fort. 

A  Seneca  chief  had  been  wantonly  robbed  and  mur- 
dered by  French  soldiers,  and  although  the  soldiers  were 
shot  yet  the  Senecaj?  manifested  their  spirit  of  resent- 
ment by  attacking  a  French  fort  in  Illinois. 

With  the  memory  of  these  different  grievances  rank- 
ling in  their  hearts,  the  Senecas  were  not  disposed  to  be 
friendly  towards  the  Fathers,  and  they  began  to  show  in 
many  ways  that  the  missioners  were  not  wanted  in  their 
land. 

Governor  de  le  Barre  made  preparations  in  i6S^  to 
humble  this  haughty  race,  and  to  punish  them  for  their 
intjrference  with  the  fur  trade,  and  for  their  repeated  at- 
tacks upon  the  Indian  friends  of  the  French.  The  Fathers 
well  knew  that  their  lives  would  not  be  safe  in  the  event 
of  war;  so  they  quietly  made  preparations  to  leave  their 
little  bark,  chapels  in  the  hands  of  the  Christians,  and  re- 
tire from  the  field,  in  which  they  had  not  reaped  an  over- 
abundant harvest,  with  the  hope  of  returning  When  the 
storms  had  passed. 


1  ■pmm\ 


,/■ 


190 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Ic 


Governor  de  le  Barre  came  to  Cataroquoi  in  1684 
with  an  army  of  French  and  Indians,  to  defeat  the  Sen- 
ecas,  but  as  an  epidemic  broke  out  among  the  soldiers  he 
decided  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace  with  the  Iroquois. 
All  the  nations  were  invited  to  send  delegates  to  the 
council  at  Cataroquoi,  but  only  representatives  from 
Oneida,  Onondaga,  and  Cayuga,  came,  as  these  cantons 
were  still  under  the  influence  of  the  French  priests.'  The 
Mohawks  and  the  Senecas  were  induced  by  the  English 
not  to  send  their  representatives  to  the  council. 

Governor  Dongan  held  a  council  of  the  Iroquois  in 
July,  1684,  to  induce  them  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
Lord  Howard,  the  English  Governor  of  Virgir.,' .,  in  favor 
of  his  colony  in  the  South.  Dongan  advised  the  Iroquois 
on  this  occasion  to  place  their  towns  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  royal  arms  of  England,  and  he  also  counseled 
them  to  bring  back  to  their  old  homes  the  Christian 
Iroquois  who  had  emigrated  to  the  settlements  near  Mon- 
treal, or  if  they  would  not  return  to  treat  them  as  traitors 
to  their  race.* 

The  threatened  invasion  of  the  French,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  the  English,  so  incited  the  Cayuga  Pagans  against 
the  French  that  they  began  to  ill-treat  Father  Carheil; 
and  they  finally  robbed  him  and  forced  him  to  leave  the 
canton.  About  the  same  time  Father  Millet  left  ..is  mis- 
sion among  the  Oneidas,  and  proceeded  to  the  camp  of 
the  French  governor  at  Cataroquoi. 

The  Fathers  had  now  closed  all  the  missions  in  the 
Iroquois  country  except  the  chapel  at  Onondaga;  and 
here  the  two  brothers,  Fathers  James  and  John  de  Lam- 
bervilfe  stfU  labored,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  this 
nation  which  remained  faithful  to  JFrenph  interests, 

J  Golden.       i  Coldea,  p.  5a. 


>*  •♦ 


MARQUIS  bEMONVlLLE  AS  GOVERNOR. 


191 


De  la  Barre  had  patched  up  a  sort  of  peace  with  the 
Iroquois,  but  it  was  never  ratified  by  the  Senecas,  nor 
respected  by  the  other  nations,  and  after  the  council  at 
Albany  a  force  of  Iroquois  started  on  the  war-path  against 
the  Ottawas,  friends  of  the  French. 

The  Marquis  Demonville  succeeded  De  le  Barre  as 
Governor  of  Canada  in  1685,  and  he  determined  to  sub- 
jugate the  Iroquois  as  the  only  means  of  securing  peace 
for  the  French  and  prosperity  fqr  their  trade.  Colonel 
Dorigan,  Governor  of  New  York,  was  in  the  meantime 
inciting  the  Iroquois  against  the  French,  and  he  endeav- 
ored to  obtain  possession  of  Father  James  de  Lamberville, 
the  only  priest'  then  among  the  Five  Nations ;  but  the 
Onondagas  would  not  allow  him  to  leave  until  an  act  of 
base  deception  on  the  part  of  Denonville  compelled  the 
last  priest  to  leave  the  Iroquois  country.  Denonville  was 
secretly  preparing  to  attack  the  Senecas,  and,  to  more 
thoroughly  conceal  his  designs,  he  invited,  through  Father 
ie  Lamberville,*  delegates  from  the  Iroquois  to  meet  him 
at  Cataroquoi.  The  nations  sent  their  delegates,  chiefs, 
and  orators,  to  meet  the  new  Governor,  who,  with  bar- 
barous treachery,  of  which  the  Indians  would  scarcely  be 
capable,  cast  them  into  prison  and  sent  them  to  France 
as  galley  slaves,  or  as  captives  to  the  French  King. 

Father  de  Lamberville  had  been  made  the  innocent 
instrument  of  this  cruel  deception,  but  it  cost  him  his 
mission,  and  it  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  The  Onondagas 
had  the  utmost  confidenrce  in  his  integrity,  and  they  be- 
lieved him  when  he  told  them  that  he  was  not  aware  of 
the  evil  designs  of  Denonville  when  he  invited  their  dele- 
gates to  the  council;  but  they  decided  that  he  should 

I  Father  John  de  Lamberville  had  gone  to  Canada, 
a  Father  John  who  had  replaced  his  brother. 


■!**. 


'■  ,  I 


»)i 


A? 


Lu* 


/   h>1l 


192 


tHE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  J5.SLIITS. 


leave  their  land.  They  allowed  hin  to  depart  in  peacd, 
and  thus  the  last  missioner  left  the  country  of  the  Iro- 
quois, and  the  missions  were  closed  after  twenty  years  of 
successful  existence. 

Denonville  made  preparations  in  the  early  spring  of 
1687  for  his  expedition  against  the  Senecas,  and  June  13th 
he  set  out  from  Montreal  with  about  sixteen  hundred 
French  soldiers  and  four  hundred  Indians,'  and  started  up 
the  river  in  small  boats  and  canoes  towards  the  land  of 
the  Senecas.  July  ist  they  reached  Cataroquoi,  where 
they  remained  until  July  4th,  when  they  proceeded  to 
Irondequoit  Bay,  where  they  were  to  meet  the  French 
and  the  Indians  from  the  West.  Thence  they  continued 
their  march  ''''>ng  the  Indian  trail  through  the  oak  forest, 
on  the  wes  1  shore  of  the  bay  to  Gannagaro,*  the  first 
of  the  Seneca  villages  where  they  gave  battle  to  a  force 
of  the  Senecas  and  defeated  them.  The  Senecas  fled, 
and  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies  burned  and  demol- 
ished the  cabins:  in  the  different  towns,  and  destroyed 
immense  quantities  of  corn.5  Having  completed  the  work 
of  destruction,  Denonville  proceeded  to  the  Niagara  River 
where  he  built  a  fort,  and  left  a  garrison  of  one  huii^red 
men  with  Father  de  Lamberville  as  chaplain ;  but  a  sick- 
ness broke  out  among  the  men  by  which  nearly  all  per- 
ished, and  the  fort  was  abandoned. 

The  Iroquois  retaliated  for  this  wanton  destruction  of 
their  homes  and  property  by  a  renewal  of  their  old  sys- 
tem of  warfare  against  the  French,  and  they  also  waged 
war  on  the  Christian  Iroquois  near  Montreal,  who  had 
fought  with  Denonville  in  the  invasion  of  their  country. 

I  Among  the  Indians  were  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  Christian  Iroquois  from  the 
settlements  near  Montreal,  who  went  to  fight  against  their  former  fellow-countrymen, 
a  S'.. James.    Seep.  12. 
3  Denonville  estimates  that  they  destroyed  1,200,000  bushels.     (Marshall). 


SENEGAS  ATTACK  THE  CANADIAN  COLONY. 


193 


m  of 

jsys- 

iged 

had 

itry. 

jm  the 

bn. 


Love  for  their  old  homes  and  kindred  was  still  strong 
among  the  Christian  Iroquois,  and  many  of  them  were 
inclined  to  leave  Caughnawaga,  or  the  Two  Mountains, 
and  cast  their  lot  with  their  own  race;  but  Kryn,  the 
Mohawk  chiei  veheriiently  opposed  removal,  as  it  meant 
a  probable  loss  of  faith,  and  the  missions  were  saved. 

In  July,  1688,  the  Senecas  attacked  the  Canadian 
colony  at  La  Chine  and  killed  two  hundred ;  and  they  also 
attacked  the  Christian  Iroquois  at  Two  Mountains  and  at 
Caughnawaga,  and  forced  them  to  fly  to  Montreal  for 
protection.  As  the  English  had  instigated  this  attack, 
Kryn,  the  Mohawk  chief,  with  some  Iroquois  nd  French, 
retaliated  by  attacking  the  English  settlement  at  Schenec- 
tady and  killing  many  of  the  inhabitants. 

These  acts  of  hostility  tended  to  exasperate  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  English  and  French  powers,  and  Gov- 
ernor Dongan  called  a  council  of  the  Five  Nations  at 
Albany,  and  advised  them  not  to  allow  any  more  French 
priests  to  enter  their  territory,  as  they  worked  against 
the  interests  of  the  Iroquois  and  of  England. 

Frontenac  succeeded  Denonville  as  Governor  of  New 
France  in  1689,  and  he  immediately  tried  to  patch  up  a 
peace  with  the  Iroquois  through  the  chiefs  whom  he  had 
brought  back  with  him  from  France;  but  the  Iroquois 
were  too  much  under  the  influence  of  the  English  to 
yield  to  any  terms  submitted  by  the  French.  War  broke 
out  the  next  year  between  England  and  France,  and  the 
Iroquois  joined  the  ranks  of  their  English  neighbors. 

After  leaving  the  fort  on  the  Niagara  River  built  by 
Denonville,  Father  Millet  went  to  Cataroquoi,  where  he 
labored  among  the  neighboring  Indians,  and  assisted  as 
chaplain  at  the  fort.  In  June,  1689,  a  band  of  Iroquois 
approached  the  fort,  declared  that  peace  had  been  made 


-.1 


i 


I'll: 


;    :■■■   ■'   i.1 


M 


194 


THE  IROQyOlS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


at  Montreal,  and  asked  for  a  priest  and  a  physician  to  at- 
tend to  their  sick  and  wounded.  Father  Millet  and  the 
resident  physician  went  out  to  meet  this  band,  on  an  er- 
rand of  mercy,  when  they  were  immediately  seized  as 
prisoners  of  war,  and  were  carried  off  to  the  home  of  the 
Iroquois. 

There  were  some  Oneidas  among  this  band  of  war- 
riors who  were  well  acquainted  with  Father  Millet,  and 
they  were  also  aware  of  the  love  their  own  people  had  for 
this  priest ;  so  they  protected  him  from  any  harm  and 
brought  him  to  their  own  canton,  where  he  was  adopted 
as  a  member  of  the  nation  and  was  made  a  sachem  of  one 
of  the  clans. '  He  had  no  sacred  vestments,  nor  sacred 
vessels  for  the  altar,  and  could  not  celebrate  mass ;  but 
the  few  Christians  still  living  here,  and  some  from  the 
other  nations,  gathered  around  him  to  converse  with  him 
and  to  receive  the  sacrament  of  penance.  He  had  a  little 
chapel  in  a  grotto,  dedicated  to  the  Dying  Saviour,  and 
here  he  recited  prayers  on  Sunday  and  at  morning  and 
evening,  for  those  who  chose  to  come,  and  he  also  taught 
them,  unmolested,  the  doctrines  he  had  taught  in  their 
town  as  an  accredited  minister  of  Christ. 

The  English  feared  the  influence  of  his  presence,  and 
they  sought  by  strategy  to  bring  him  to  the  Mohawk 
country  where  he  would  be  in  their  power.  They  sent 
some  Mohawk  messengers  to  invite  him  to  their  towns 
to  attend  to  the  Christians  there ;  but  his  Oneida  friends 
would  not  allow  him  to  depart  as  they  feared  treachery, 
and  they  told  the  Mohawks  he  could  always  be  found  in 
his  little  chapel  at  Oneida.^ 

Millet  remained  here  until  1694,  when  peace  was 
concluded  and  he  returned  to  Quebec.     War  broke  out 

I  Golden.        a  Lettre  du  Pere  Millet. 


FATHER  BRUYAS  AT  ONONDAGA. 


196 


e  was 
ke  out 


again  the  next  year,  and  Frontenac  led  a  force  of  over 
two  thousand  French  and  Indians  into  the  country  of  the 
Onondagas  and  the  Oneidas,  and  compelled  them  to  sue 
for  peace. 

Hostilities  between  the  English  and  French  ceased 
with  the  peace  of  Ryswick  in  1697,  and  prosperity  once 
more  appeared  in  the  land.  The  husbandman  was  al- 
lowed to  till  the  soil,  and  the  trader  to  traffic  in  furs. 

The  Iroquois  also  made  friendly  overtures  to  the 
French  shortly  after,  and  the  prospects  seemed  bright  for 
a  renewal  of  the  former  successful  missions  among  these 
people;  but  the  hatred  engendered  by  religious  differences 
now  arose  to  prevent  the  return  of  Catholic  priests. 

The  English  Governor,  Bellomont,  had  a  law  passed 
by  the  New  York  Legislature,  in  1700,  making  it  a  penal 
offense  for  any  priest  to  be  found  in  the  territory  subject 
to  the  king,  and  punishable  with  perpetual  imprison- 
ment; and  anyone  who  harbored  a  Catholic  priest  was 
subject  to  a  fine  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. '  In  the 
latter  part  of  August  the  Governor  called  the  Five  Nations 
to  a  council,  at  which  he  told  them  he  had  sent  for  min- 
isters to  come  to  instruct  them ;  and  he  advised  them  to 
capture  any  Jesuits  they  found  in  their  land  and  bring 
them  to  Albany. 

Father  Bruyas  went  to  Onondaga  with  the  French 
representative,  after  the  peace  of  Ryswick,  to  negotiate  the 
exchange  of  prisoners,  and  during  the  council  he  gave  a 
belt  as  a  pledge  that  he  would  come  back  to  them,  to 
live  amongst  them  as  a  missionary;  but  the  Iroquois 
council  would  not  accept  the  belt,  as  they  had  already 
accepted  one  from  the  English  Governor,  who  prom- 
ised to  send  Protestant  ministers  to  instruct  them.*  Father 

I  Shea,  p.  357.       .a  Golden,  p.  aoi . 


^4a 


h'    ti 


«         El 
-•I 


196 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Bruyas  attended  the  Iroquois  council  again  in  1701,  and 
endeavored  to  relume  the  fading  light  of  faith,  but  how 
willing  soever  the  Indians  may  have  been  to  see  the 
Fathers  among  them  once  more  they  feared  the  power 
and  authority  of  the  English  Governor,  who  exerted  all 
his  energies  to  prevent  a  revival  of  the  missions. 

The  next  year,  1702,  the  Iroquois  of  their  own  accord 
responded  to  the  invitation  of  Father  Bruyas,  and  asked 
the  missionaries  to  come  again  to  their  people. 

Father  James  de  Lamberville  was  selected  for  Onon- 
daga, whilst  Revs.  Julian  Gamier  and  Vaillant  de  Gueslis 
proceeded  to  the  Seneca  villages  near  the  Genesee.  In 
October,  1702,  the  chapels  were  again  opened  and  the 
word  of  God  was  announced  to  these  erratic  children  of 
the  forest.' 

The  English  did  not  view  with  any  good  will  the 
presence  of  the  missionaries  among  the  Iroquois,  and  they 
began  secretly  to  prejudice  the  minds  of  the  Indians 
against  the  French  in  general,  and  the  Fathers  in  particu- 
lar. They  succeeded,  finally,  in  1709,  in  forcing  them  to 
leave  the  Iroquois  country  forever,  and  to  relinquish  the 
field  which  had  been  so  productive  of  joy  and  sorrow,  of 
pleasure  and  pain;  which  had  sent  so  many  saints  to 
Heaven,  yet  in  which,  through  the  enmities  of  civilized 
powers,  the  harvest  was  never  fully  reaped.  English  influ- 
ence over  the  Iroquois  practically  excluded  the  French 
missionaries  from  their  country,  and  many  of  the  Indians 
fell  back  into  Paganism,  or  listened  with  indifference  and 
incredulity  to  the  preaching  of  some  paid  preachers  of 
Protestantism,  who  abandoned  the  field  as  soon  as  their 
salary  ceased;  whilst  many  others  preserved  the  faith  even 
in  their  wanderings,  and  when  deprived  of  all  external 
aids,  till  love  through  death  supplanted  faith  and  hope. 

I  N.  Y.,  Vol.  Doc.  IX.,  p.  737,  and  Charlevoix  History  of  New  France,  p.  153, 


d 

le 
er 
all 

)rd 
led 

on- 
isUs 
In 
the 
nof 

the 
they 
lians 
ticu- 
m  to 
hthe 
w,  of 
Its  to 
ilized 
influ- 
french 
idians 
and 
lers  of 
their 
even 
eternal 

)pe. 
1 53. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

RESULT  OF  THE  MISSIONS. 

CANNIBALISM  ABANDONED-HATRED  SUPPLANTED  BY  LOVE-CHHIS- 
TIAN  TRUTHS  ADOPTED  BY  IROQUOIS-RELIGIOUS  STRIFE  OF 
EUROPEANS  OBSTACLE  TO  FAITH-SACRIFICES  OF  CHRISTIAN 
INDIANS  -  INDIAN  MARTYRS  -  PIOUS  EXAMPLES  -  KIND  AND 
PIOUS  LADIES  OF  FRANCE  HELP  TO  EDUCATE  INDIANS-JESUITS 
START  SEMINARY  AT  QUEBEC-URSULINES  OPEN  CONVENT 
FOR  INDIANS-INDIANS  PREFER  FOREST  FREEDOM  TO  CON- 
VENT WALLS-IROQUOIS  GIRLS  MOST  TRACTABLE-CHRISTIAN 
INDIANS  PRIZED  CATHOLIC  BOOKS-SCHOOLS  IN  THE  FORESTS 
-SCHOOLS  AT  THE  CATHOLIC  SETTLEMENTS. 

BEFORE  the  advent  of  the  missio*"aries  the  Iroquois 
were  cannibals,  and  often  had  the  Fathers  wit- 
nessed the  cruel  spectacle  of  some  unfortunate 
slave,  or  one  of  their  own  captive  companions,  being 
roasted  on  the  spit,  or  thrown  into  a  large  caldron  of 
boiling  water  to  be  cooked  and  devoured  by  these  sav- 
ages. The  Fathers  taught  them  the  sacredness  of  human 
life,  and  the  abomination  of  devouring  the  flesh  of  their 
fellow  beings ;  and  in  deference  to  this  teaching  of  the 
missionaries,  and  the  wishes  of  the  French,  they  buried 
the  caldron,  and  promised  to  renounce  this  barbarous 
practice  forever.  To  hate  an  enemy  the  Iroquois  consid- 
ered one  of  the  noblest  virtues,  but  as  they  were  taught 
that  men  are  all  brothers  and  children  of  the  same  eternal 
Father,  they  learned  to  have,  at  least,  a  moderate  degree 
of  love  for  their  fellow  beings,  and  were  known  to  for- 
give and  even  to  pray  for  their  enemies.     The  Indian  had 

197 


1  I* 


198 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


mri. 


' "  :'L 


but  a  very  confused  notion  of  God  or  of  the  soul,  and  his 
idea  of  God,  the  highest  being,  Master  of  life,  did  not  in- 
clude any  religious  relations  towards  the  Supreme  Being, 
any  mora!  obligations  towards  his  fellow-man, or  account- 
ability for  his  acts.  His  mind  did  not  rise  above  nature, 
and  he  recognized  no  moral  restraint  except  the  advice 
of  the  Ancients,  or  the  power  of  an  enemy ;  nor  did  he 
know  any  force  except  the  visible  and  animal  of  this 
world.  When  the  waters,  therefore,  devastated  their 
fields  it  was  because  some  evil  okki  had  destroyed  their 
dams ;  and  when  a  storm  arose  it  was  because  some  un- 
known animnls.  living  in  the  caverns  and  dens  of  the 
earth,  had  reTioved  the  opening  from  the  caves  of  winds 
and  allowed  ihem  to  fly  over  forest,  lake,  and  moorland. 
Though  the  greater  part  of  the  Iroquois  did  not  become 
Christians,  yet  they  seemed  to  have  generally  adopted 
the  ideas  of  God  as  taught  by  the  missionaries,  as  a  new 
name,  Haw-wen-ne-yu,  was  adopted  to  express  the  new 
belief;  and  Thoronhiawagon,  their  old  deity,  was  rele- 
gated to  the  class  of  genii,  or  spirits ;  while  the  name  and 
worship  of  Agreskoue,  the  sun,  had  entirely  dir>appeared 
years  before  the  Fathers  had  left  the  field.  Ti'ey'  also 
seemed  to  have  unconsciously  adopted  many  of  the  truths 
of  Christianity  and  principles  of  morality  as  taught  by  the 
missionaries ;  as  they  were  found  many  years  afterwards 
advocating  these  truths  as  a  part  of  their  traditions,  and 
practicing  works  of  piety  which  they  could  only  have 
learned  from  the  Jesuits.  At  one  of  their  councils,  held  at 
Tonawanda,  chief  John  Skye  made  a  very  long  speech 
on  moral  matters,  and  on  the  religious  traditions  of  his 
race.  In  conclusion,  he  said:  "You  must  not  do  bad, 
you  must  not  speak  bad,  you  must  not  think  bad;  for  the 

I  Alden,  Missions. 


tHE  INDIANS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


199 


Great  Spirit  knows  your  thoughts  as  well  as  your  words 
and  deeds." 

Some  of  them  were  accustomed  to  rise  during  the 
night  to  pray.* 

This  teaching  and  this  custom  must  have  been  some 
of  the  lingering  rays  of  the  light  spread  through  their 
land  by  their  first  teachers,  the  Jesuits. 

The  missionaries  also  endeavored  to  teach  them  the 
arts  of  civilized  life,  as  they  became  Christians,  and  would 
undoubtedly  have  succeeded  in  both  had  not  the  Ei.glish, 
Dutch,  and  French,  transferred  their  political  and  religious 
strife  to  American  soil,  and  so  bewildered  the  poor  Indians 
by  their  conflicting  interests  and  theories  that  they  could 
not  place  implicit  confidence  in  the  words  of  any  of  the 
Europeans.* 

The  Indians  of  North  America  might  long  since  have 
been  a  civilized  and  Christian  race  if  the  governments  of 
Europe,  through  their  agents,  had  not  interfered,  with  the 
Catholic  missionaries  in  their  work  of  redeeming  these 
savage  children  of  the  forest.  The  missionaries  were  al- 
ways sincere  and  unselfish  in  their  dealings  with  the 
Indians ;  and  their  presence  and  labors  among  these  dusky 
tribes  were  the  noblest,  and  almost  the  only,  redeeming 
feature  in  the  relations  of  the  two  races,  whose  history  on 
the  part  of  the  whites  is  but  a  narrative  of  debauchery,  of 
treachery,  and  of  deceit.  Thousands  of  the  Iroquois 
blessed  the  coming  of  the  Catholic  missionaries,  as 
through  them  they  subdued  their  passions,  triumphed 
over  the  vices  of  their  race,  and  obtained  the  happiness 
of  Heaven ;'  whilst  even  the  Pagans  held  the  Black  Robes 

I  Alden.        2  Parkman. 

3  Dablon.  The  relations  only  continued  to  1672,  but  Father  Dablon,  who  was  superior 
of  the  mission,  wrote  an  account  of  their  labors  from  1672  to  1679,  which  was  published 
in  i860. 


200 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


$'»'' 


in  reverence,  although  they  did  not  profit  by  their  pres- 
ence, but  were  whirled  along  with  the  great  mass  of  their 
race,  without  grace  or  God,  like  so  many  of  their  white 
brethren,  towards  the  happy  hunting  ground,  where 
they  believed  they  would  hunt  the  deer  and  fight  their 
foes. 

Many  of  the  adult  Christians  gave  strong  proof  of  the 
firmness  of  their  faith,  not  only  by  assisting  the  Fathers 
to  instruct  the  catechumens,  but  by  leaving  home  and 
kindred  and  emigrating  to  the  new  settlements  near  Mon- 
treal, where  they  could  preserve  and  practice  their  faith. 

Many  individual  examples  could  be  given  which 
would  show  that  the  Iroquois  Christians  realized  and 
appreciated  the  truth  and  beauty  of  Christianity ;  as  they 
sacrificed  their  lives  for  the  faith  with  all  the  fervor,  resig- 
nation, and  love,  displayed  by  the  early  martyrs  of  the 
Church.  Among  the  Christian  Iroquois  who  had  emi- 
grated to  the  Sault  was  Stephan  Te  Ganonakoa,  and  his 
young  family.  In  August,  1690,  he  set  out  with  a  party 
of  friends  for  the  usual  fall  hunt,  but  shortly  after  they 
were  attacked  by  a  band  of  Cayugas,  and  Stephan  and 
his  wife  were  led  captives  to  Onondaga. '  Here  they  were 
tortured  with  all  the  cruelty  which  these  people  inflict 
upon  the  enemies  of  their  race,  because  they  had  aban- 
doned their  country  for  Christianity.  They  inflicted  upon 
him  the  most  cruel  tortures  to  compel  him  to  renounce 
Christianity  and  return  to  his  native  home;  but  he  re- 
mained firm  and  endured  the  torments  until  death,  with 
the  stoicism  of  the  Indian  and  the  fortit  :de  of  the  Chris- 
tian martyr.  He  begged  only  for  time  to  pray ;  and  then 
he  urged  them  to  proceed  with  their  torments,for  his  sins 

I  Kip.  p.  121.    Kip  was  a  Protestant  bishop,  who  admired  the  self  sacrifice  and  devo- 
tion of  the  missionaries  and  the  heroic  virtues  of  the  Catholic  Iroquob. 


mm 


INDIAN  MARTYRS. 


201 


deserved  punishment,  and  the  more  severe  were  his  suf- 
ferings here  the  greater  would  be  his  reward  in  Heaven. 

Two  years  later  Frances  Ganannhatenha,  an  Iroquois 
living  at  the  Sault,  was  captured  and  taken  to  Onondaga 
where  the  nails  were  torn  from  her  hands ;  the  sign  of  the 
cross  was  cut  on  her  bosom  with  a  tomahawk;  she  was 
burned  at  the  stake ;  her  scalp  was  torn  off,  and  hot  ashes 
were  placed  on  her  head ;  yet,  whilst  the  savages  were 
inflicting  these  cruelties,  she  prayed  and  advised  her  tor- 
mentors to  become  Christians. 

The  next  year  a  young  Indian  woman  of  twenty- 
four  years,  whose  home  was  at  the  Sault,  was  captured  by 
the  Pagans ;  and  when  she  realized  what  cruelty  awaited 
her  she  cried  out  that  her  sins  merited  whatever  punish- 
ment they  could  inflict  on  her;  and  she  prayed  the  Lord 
would  give  her  strength  to  suffer  for  her  sins.  She  was 
burned  at  the  stake,  and  as  the  fierce  flames  arose  around 
her  frail  form,  with  her  dying  breath  she  gently  murmur- 
ed the  names  of  Jesus,  Mary,  and  Joseph.' 

Stephan  Aonwentsiatewet,  a  young  man  who  dwelt 
at  the  Sault,  was  captured  by  the  Mohawks,  and  was 
hurried  off  to  their  towns  to  be  tortured.  He  had  influ- 
ential friends  among  the  Mohawks,  and  his  life  was  saved. 
He  was  urged  to  live  like  the  Pagans,  to  adopt  their  cus- 
toms and  practice  their  vices,  but  he  refused.  He  saw 
that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  practice  his  faith  among 
Pagans,  so  he  resolved  to  escape.  He  was  recaptured, 
and,  after  a  prayer  for  his  friends  and  for  his  torturers,  he 
was  put  to  death.* 

The  humble  Mohawk  maiden,  Catherine  Tekakwitha, 
led  a  most  remarkable  life  of  fervor  and  devotion,  and  she 
added  lustre  to  the  glory  of  the  Church  in  the  New  World 

f  Kip,  p.  139.       2  Burtin,  "Vie  de  Catherine  Tekalcwitha," 


>■' 


202 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


I--1 


4 


r\ 


i; 


by  the  virtues  which  adorned  her  soul.  Her  life  was 
proof  that  children  of  the  forest,  reared  amid  Pagan  sur- 
roundings, are  as  capable  of  the  highest  degree  of  Chris- 
tian perfection  as  those  who  enjoy  the  advantages  of  re- 
fined education  and  civilized  society.  Her  lomb  at  the 
Sault  became  a  shrine  to  which  thousands  of  her  own 
race  as  well  as  Europeans  came  to  pay  their  tribute  of  re- 
spect to  a  holy  virgin,  whose  beautiful  life  entitled  her 
name  to  be  enrolled  among  the  number  of  the  saints. 
Many  also  came  with  their  sorrows  and  their  ills,  and 
through  her  intercession  they  obtained  miraculous  favors. ' 

The  missioners  baptized  more  than  4,000*  adults  and 
children  during  the  years  they  labored  in  the  Iroquois 
country.  Fully  1,500  emigrated  from  the  Iroquois  can- 
tons to  the  Catholic  settlements  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
Ri\  er,  where  they  have  practiced  their  religion  with 
fidelity  to  the  present  day. 

The  King  of  France  had  early  expressed  a  desire  to 
have  the  child;  en  of  New  France  educated  like  the  chil- 
dren of  Europeans,  and  to  adopt  the  manners  and  customs 
of  civilized  life.  Many  of  the  wealthy  nobles  and  the 
pious  ladies  of  France  had  contributed  generously  towards 
the  establishment  of  seminaries  of  learning  at  Quebec, 
for  the  training  of  Indian  boys  and  girls.  The  king 
hoped  by  this  means  to  make  the  Indians  loyal  subjects 
of  France,  and  the  pious  ladies  wished  to  see  them  faith- 
ful children  of  the  Church. 

The  Jesuits  believed  that  the  Christian  education  of 
some  of  the  Huron  youths  would  greatly  facilitate  their 
work  in  converting  these  people,  so  they  started  at 
Qyebec,  in  1635,  a  little  seminary  which  they  called  the 
**Seminaire  des  Hurons."    Father   Daniel   and    Father 

I  Kip,  p.  1 14.       a  Dablon. 


.1-  ■^' 


SEMINARIES  ESTABLISHED. 


203 


Nicoil  brought  some  promising  children  from  the  Huron 
country  and  placed  them  in  this  seminary ;  but  some  soon 
died,  and  the  others  fled  froin  the  institution.  Some 
Algonquins  and  some  Montagnais  were  also  admitted, 
but  they  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  study  of  books. 

The  Ursulines  came  to  Qyebec  in  1659,  and  they  im- 
mediately began  the  work  of  educating  all  the  girls,  of 
whatever  race,  that  they  could  induce  to  come  within  the 
sacred  precinct  of  their  convent  walls.  They  especially 
desired  to  educate  and  civilize  the  Huron  and  Algonquin 
girls,  who  were  amenable  to  their  teaching.  The  cele- 
brated Marie  de  1'  Incarnation,  the  superior  of  the  con- 
vent, was  well  fitted  for  this  work,  as  she  knew  the 
Huron  and  Algonquin  languages  well,  and  was  devoted 
to  the  enlightenment  and  elevation  of  the  Indian  girls. 

From  the  time  the  seminaries  were  established  at 
Quebec  and  Montreal  the  Fathers  had  sent  some  of  the 
brightest  young  Indian  boys  and  girls  they  could  find  in 
their  respective  missions  to  these  schools,  so  that  they 
might  be  instructed  in  the  arts  of  civilization,  and  taught 
the  truths  of  Christianity ;  and  then  when  they  graduated 
from  these  seminaries,  and  returned  to  their  forest  homes, 
they  might  also  become  missioners  in  civilizing  and 
Christianizing  the  Indian  nations.  Peace  with  the  Iro- 
quois gave  the  Fathers  an  opportunity  of  placing  many 
of  the  young  boys  from  the  Five  Nations  in  the  seminaries 
at  Montreal  and  Quebec,  and  several  of  the  girls  in  the 
convent  of  the  Ursuline  nuns ;  and  in  this  way  they  hoped 
to  spread  the  light  of  progress  and  of  faith  among  these 
benighted  people,  and  teach  them  to  adopt  the  customs 
and  practices  of  civilized  life. 

The  Indians  could  not  be  expected  to  pay  anything 
for  an  education  they  did  not  appreciate,  and  the  work 


V    ■ 
*■ 

V 


m^^' 


{„' 


204 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


of  sustaining  these  institutions  devolved  on  the  pious 
ladies  of  France,  who  religiously  and  generously  con- 
tributed towards  the  conversion  of  these  savages.  There 
was  an  inherent  charm  in  the  untrammeled  freedom  of 
Indian  life  that  firmly  wedded  these  people  to  their  forest 
homes.  No  inducements  of  civilized  life  could  lead  them  ' 
from  the  traditional  customs  and .  occupations  of  their 
race.  The  commercial  activity  of  civilized  communities 
was  for  them  an  intolerable  prison  life,  whilst  they  utterly 
despised  the  tillers  of  the  soil.  They  gloried  only  in  the 
hunt  or  in  war,  and  when  they  visited  the  Europeans  it 
was  to  barter  their  furs  for  arms  and  ammunition  or  for 
rum,  or  to  lie  on  the  ground  and  gaze  in  idle  curiosity 
and  scorn  at  the  busy  lives  of  the  merchants  and  traders. 

The  children  of  these  people  could  not  brook  the  re- 
straint of  convent  life,  and  when  they  seemed  content 
with  their  surroundings,  at  an  unguarded  moment,  they 
would  scale  the  v/alls  and  fly  like  deers  to  their  forest 
homes. ' 

Marie  de  1'  Incarnation  says  that  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  civilize  them,  as  scarcely  onj  out  of  a  hundred 
children  who  passed  through  their  hands  would  adopt 
the  manners  and  customs  of  European  life. 

The  Iroquois  were  the  most  implacable  foes  of  the 
French,  yet,  paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  their  girls  were 
the  most  docile  pupils  of  the  convent.  When  the  Cath- 
olic Iroquois  began  to  settle  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  some 
of  their  girls  went  to  live  with  the  sisters,  where  they 
learned  the  arts  and  sciences  of  civilized  life ;  and  some  of 
them  joined  the  community  and  became  exemplary  and 
saintly  nuns. 

I  The  Montagnais,  at  the  Bay  of  Chaleurs,  were  taught  by  the  Jesaits  to  read  and 
write  near  two  centuries  ago,  and  they  have  preserved  the  Icnovrledge  thus  acquired  to  the 
present  day  by  teaching  their  ohildren  the  contents  of  the  boolts  that  were  printed  in  their 
Innguage. 


SCHOOLS  FOR  THE  INDIANS. 


206 


As  the  Indian  converts  learned  more  of  Christianity 
they  valued  education  more  highly,  because  they  found 
that  books  were  an  important  factor  in  the  preservation 
of  their  faith.  Little  works  on  Christian  doctrine  were 
published  in  the  Huron,  Iroquois,  and  Algonquin,  lan- 
guages, and  schools  were  started  in  the  Catholic  Indian 
settlements,  in  which  all  who  wished  could  learn  to  read 
and  write  in  their  own  tongue." 

The  first  schools  for  Indians  were  located  in  large 
towns,  but  as  these  were  not  successful  many  thought 
they  would  be  more  prosperous  if  they  were  placed  in 
the  country,  away  from  the  turmoil  of  the  town,  where 
the  Indian  youth  could  have  the  fields  and  the  forests  to 
engage  in  the  pastimes  of  their  homes.  There  were  three 
little  isles  in  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Gentilly,  above  LaChine, 
called  the  Isles  of  Courcelles ;  and  these  were  given  by  the 
Governor  to  the  Abbe  Fenelon  in  January,  1673,  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  seminary  for  Indian  boys. 

Schools  were  started  at  the  different  Indian  Catholic 
settlements,  in  which  the  Indians  were  taught  to  read  and 
write,  and  other  branches  were  added  when  they  could 
be  induced  to  remain ;  and  these  schools  have  continued 
without  interruption  to  the  present  day. 

There  are  now  four  excellent  schools  for  the  Catholic 
Iroquois  at  St.  Regis,  two  at  Caughnawaga,  and  one  at 
Two  Mountains,*  in  which  the  pupils  learn  all  that  is 
generally  taught  in  our  grammar,  or  common  schools.  It 
is  a  general  complaint,  however,  that  parents  do  not  rea- 
lize that  much  benefit  is  conferred  by  such  an  education, 
and  they  still  prefer  to  see  their  boys  learn  to  hunt  or 
fish,  or  lazily  till  the  soil ;  whilst  some  few  serve  as  pilots 

I  Letter  of  Bishop  of  Quebec  to  Bishop  Timon. 
a  Canadian  report  of  Indian  affairs,  1893. 


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206  THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

to  guide  steamers  through  the  dangerous  rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  whose  every  rock  has  been  known  to  their 
race  for  many  ages. 


PdiMIEillill 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

LA   SALLB  AND   FATHER   HENNEPIN. 

LA  SALLE  LEARNS  TOPOGRAPHY  OF  COUNTRY  FROM  IROQUOIS- 
WATER  ROUTE  TO  EAST  INDIES-EXPEDITION  FOR  FAITH  AND 
FAME-VISIT  SENEGAS-VISITORS  REGALED  WITH  ROAST  DOG- 
VISIT  NIAGARA  RIVER-DOLLIER  AND  GALINEE  BUILD  FIRST 
CHAPEL  ON  LAKE  ERIE-WINTER  SOJOURN  IN  THE  FOREST- 
LAKE  STORM  ENDS  MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE-SECOND  EXPE- 
DITION-BUILDING OF  THE  GRIFFON-TE  DEUM  AT  NIAGARA- 
FIRST  RECORD  OF  MASS  AT  NIAGARA-HENNEPIN'S  MIDWIN- 
TER JOURNEY  TO  SENECAS-WHERE  THE  GRIFFON  WAS  BUILT 
-GRIFFON  ANCHORED  AT  SQUAW  ISLAND-FIRST  RELIGIOUS 
SERVICE  IN  BUFFALO-LOSS  OF  THE  GRIFFON. 

SOME  Other  Reverend  Fathers  visited  the  homes  of  the 
Iroquois  during  the  period  of  the  missions,   and, 
although  they  did  not  directly  labor  to  propagate 
the  Gospel  among  the  Indians,  yet  they  performed  relig- 
ious services  in  this  region,  and  their  deeds  form  a  part 
of  the  early  Church  history  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  Cavalier'  La  Salle  had  learned  from  some  Iroquois 
at  Montreal  that  there  were  vast  forests  and  prairies  to 
the  westward,  teeming  with  game ;  that  there  were  vast 
lakes,  on  the  borders  of  which  were  inexhaustible  mines ; 
and  that  there  was  a  river  to  the  west  of  their  country 
which  flowed  into  a  great  sea.  The  discovery  of  a  north- 
west passage  to  the  East  Indies  was  the  highest  ambition 
of  the  early  explorers,  and  La  Salle  thought  this  might  be 
the  route  that  would  solve  the  problem,  and  bring  him 

I  Marshall,  p.  191.  207 


1 

fi' <i 

I  1 

^    ii) 

1  i 

BafS 

<'i  -. 

If 

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■/I' 


M  ' 


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208 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


wealth  and  fame.  In  the  summer,  therefore,  of  1669, 
with  two  Sulpitians,  Revs.  Francois  Dollier  de  Casson, 
and  Rene  de  Brehart  de  Galinee,  he  organized  a  joint  ex- 
pedition,— the  Cavalier  to  make  discoveries,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries to  preach  the  Gospel  and  bring  the  light  of  faith 
to  the  unknown  nations  and  tribes  beyond  the  lakes  and 
along  the  extensive  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  •  The  party 
was  composed  of  about  twenty-five  men,  and  started  from 
La  Chine,*  July  6,  1669,  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
Lake  Ontario,  and  skirted  along  its  southern  shore  to 
Irondequoit  Bay.  Thence  they  proceeded  to  the  Seneca 
village  of  Gannagaro,  or  St.  James,  in  order  to  obtain  a 
guide  to  conduct  them  through  the  wilderness  to  the 
Ohio  River.  They  were  received  with  great  pomp  by 
the  Seneca  chiefs  and  ancients;  and  a  banquet  was  pre- 
pared for  them,  at  which  the  principal  dish  was  roast  dog. 
They  were  detained  here  for  three  weeks,  expecting 
to  obtain  a  captive,  or  slave,  as  a  guide ;  but  they  were 
obliged  to  depart  without  one.  They  returned  to  Iron- 
dequoit Bay,  where  Father  Dollier  and  some  companions 
had  remained,  and  where  mass  was  celebrated  on  the 
shore,  in  a  little  chapel  made  of  the  oars  and  the  sails  of 
their  canoes.  They  proceeded  along  the  southern  shore 
of  the  lake  towards  Niagara  River,  where  they  landed, 
and  very  probably  said  mass.  Here  they  learned  from 
the  Indians  about  the  great  falls,  which  they  did  not  visit 
but  accurately  described  from  the  account  given  them. 
They  went  to  Burlington  Bay,  and  thence  overland  to  an 
Indian  village^  situated  between  the  head  of  the  Bay  and 
Grand  River,  where  Father  Dollier  said  mass  and  all  the 
company  received  Holy  Communion.     Here  La  Salle  left 

1  The  Relations  of  1670  give  this  name  to  the  river. 

2  So  called,  perhaps,  from  its  being  the  supposed  starting  point  to  China.  Marshall. 


Ill 


THE  LOSS  OF  THE  CHALICE. 


209 


the  party,  and  the  Sulpitians  proceeded  down  the  Grand 
River  to  Lake  Erie.  As  the  season  was  far  advanced, ' 
the  missionaries  decided  to  remain  in  this  beautiful  region 
until  spring;  so  they  built  a  chapel^  a  short  distance  from 
the  lake ;  gathered  nuts  and  killed  game  for  food ;  gathered 
the  wild  grapes  which  were  here  in  great  abundance, 
and  pressed  them  to  serve  as  wine  for  the  altar;  and  thus 
this  little  congregation  of  French  Christians  spent  the 
winter  of  1669-70,  worshiping  on  Sundays  in  the  first 
chapel  erected  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Erie.  They  made 
preparations  to  continue  their  westward  journey  on  the 
lake,  March  26,  1670,  but  during  the  night  a  violent  storm 
arose  which  submerged  one  of  their  canoes,  and  their 
ammunition  was  destroyed ;  but  the  greatest  loss  was  the 
chalice,  without  which  they  could  not  celebrate  mass  or 
administer  the  sacrament  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  and  their 
grand  missionary  enterprise  came  to  a  sudden  end,  and 
they  reluctantly  made  their  way  to  the  nearest  settlement 
of  French. . 

They'  said  mass  in  their  travels  in  more  than  200 
places  where  mass  had  never  been  celebrated  before. 
Father  Dollier  celebrating  at  least  three  times  every  week. 

LaSalle  was  not  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  his  first 
attempt  to  explore  the  vast  region  of  the  West,  but  made 
preparations  for  another  expedition  over  the  lakes  and 
waterways  to  discover  new  lands,  and  to  buy  peltry  from 
the  Indians.  For  this  purpose  he  sent  a  party  of  car- 
penters and  artisans  to  build  a  fort  at  Niagara  and  a  vessel 

I  It  was  then  October  i  $. 

2.  Margry  Decouverts.  On  M.  Galince's  map  there  was  a  Presque  Isle  on  the  Canadian 
shore  above  Grand  River,  which  was  very  large.  This  is  now  Long  Point,  and  the  chapel 
was  a  little  inward  of  this,  probably  on  Big  Creek,  at  or  near  Spring  Arbor.  General  Clark, 
however,  holds  that  they  wintered  at  Dover,  thirty-five  miles  west  of  the  mouth  of  Grand 
River. 

}  Journal  of  Galinee  in  Margry. 


i    ■ 


if' 


210 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Hi  I 


I*      .. -(I 

V  " 

f  ^ ' 


ill 


.  I 

I , ' 

I- 


above  the  Falls. '  He  had  received  a  grant  of  land  near  the 
present  site  of  Kingston,  Ont,  where  he  built  a  fort  which 
he  named  Frontenac,  and  here  he  also  built  a  brigantine 
of  ten  tons,  which  he  loaded  with  materials  for  the  new 
vessel  and  with  supplies  and  provisions  for  his  explora- 
tions on  the  upper  lakes. 

The  companions  of  LaSalle  in  this  enterprise  were 
Father  Louis  Hennepin,  a  Flemish  Franciscan,  the  Cheve- 
lier  Henry  de  Tonty,  the  Sieur  la  Motte  de  Lussiere,  and 
sixteen  men.^  Father  Hennepin  possessed  something  of 
the  venturesome  spirit  of  LaSalle.  and  he  accompanied 
the  party  not  only  to  attend  to  their  spiritual  wants  but 
also  to  take  part  in  the  exploration  of  the  vast  region  of 
the  West.  Their  exploring  party  embarked  in  their  little 
brigantine  at  Fort  Frontenac  November  i8,  1678,  and  on 
the  sixth  of  December,  the  feast  of  St.  Nicholas,  they 
entered  the  beautiful  river  Niagara,  "Into  which  no  bark 
similar  to  ours  had  ever  sailed. "'  The  grand  strains  of 
that  noble  hymn  of  the  Church,  the  Te  Deum,  arose  from 
the  deck  of  the  vessel,  and  resounded  along  either  shore 
of  this  romantic  region,  so  interesting  and  pregnant  with 
events  of  importance  to  Church  and  State.  The  next  day 
a  party  with  Father  Hennepin  ascended  the  river  in  a 
canoe  and  landed  on  the  Canadian  shore,  near  the  old 
suspension  bridge,  ascended  Queenstown  Heights  and 
followed  the  river  as  far  as  Chippewa  Creek,  where  they 
encamped  for  the  night.  The  next  day  they  returned  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  on  the  eleventh  of  December 
Father  Hennepin  said  mass  on  the  American  shore,  pre- 
sumably the  first  ever  said  in  this  vicinity.* 

LaSalle  had  not  arrived  from  Fort  Frontenac,  and,  as 


I  Margry  "Dpcouvertes."    Vol.  I. 
4  Marshall. 


2  Marshall,  }  Hennepin  N.  D.,  p.  74. 


s'  I 


FATHER  HENNEPIN'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  SENEGAS.  211 

the  Indians  objected  to  the  building  of  a  fort,  LaMotte 
invited  Father  Hennepin  to  accompany  him  to  the  Seneca 
villages  near  the  Genesee  River,  to  obtain  from  the  chiefs 
a  sanction  for  their  work.  They  started  from  the  Niagara 
River  on  Christmas  day,  1678,  and  journeyed  five  days 
along  the  ridge  road  trail  to  the  Genesee,  through  the 
snow  in  the  wilderness,  with  parched  corn,  or  some  wild 
game  killed  by  their  Indian  companions,  for  food,  and 
some  large  oak  or  lofty  pine  for  a  shelter  at  night,  until 
they  reached  the  large  village  of  Tagarondies. '  On  the 
first  day  of  the  year  Father  Hennepin  said  mass*  in  this 
village  and  preached  to  the  Iroquois,  in  the  presence  of 
Fathers  Gamier  and  RafTeix,  S.  J.  They  were  kindly  re- 
ceived and  generously  treated  by  the  Senecas ;  but  their 
mission  was  fruitless,  and  they  returned  to  their  com- 
panions on  January  14th. 

In  the  meantime  the  brigantine  had  been  towed  up 
the  river  to  the  present  site  of  Lewiston,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  footpath  near  the  old  bridge,  5  and  the  men  awaited 
the  coming  of  LaSalle  to  begin  work.  LaSalle  selected  a 
site  for  his  shipyard  about  five  miles  above  the  Falls,  on 
Cayuga  Creek,  4  where  two  bark  cabins  were  built,  one 
for  a  work  shop,  and  the  other  for  a  chapel  where  mass 
was  said  every  day,  and  where  Father  Hennepin  preached 
on  Sundays  whilst  the  devout  Frenchmen  made  the 
forests  resound  with  the  strains  of  the  Gregorian  chant 
for  high  mass.  LaSalle  was  obliged  to  return  to  Fort 
Frontenac  for  supplies  for  his  expedition,  and  Father  Hen- 
nepin accompanied  him  as  far  as  Niagara  (Youngstown), 
where  a  site  was  selected  for  a  fort;  but  to  avoid  giving 

1  Gandachioragou. 

2  Father  Hennepin  always  carried  his  portable  altar  on  his  bacic  during  these  journeys, 
and,  consequently,  said  mass  in  many  places  not  recorded. 

5  Roscel.       4  Locality  in  doubt.  Remington. 


m 


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ill 


212 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


oflFence  to  the  Senecas  the  French  pretended  that  it  was 
to  be  a  blacksmith  shop  which  LaSalle  had  promised 
them. 

The  vessel,  which  was  completed  in  May,  1679,  was 
called  the  Griffon,  in  compliment  to  Count  Frontenac, 
and  was  blessed  by  Father  Hennepin ;  and  the  first  vessel 
of  the  upper  lakes  floated  out  with  the  Te  Deum  over  the 
waters  of  the  Cayuga  Creek  to  the  Niagara  River.  The 
Griffon  soon  jfter  sailed  up  the  river  to  the  foot  of  Squaw 
Island,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  lake,' 
where  she  was  anchored  and  remained  nearly  three 
months  awaiting  the  return  of  Father  Hennepin  and 
LaSalle,  who  went  to  Fort  Frontenac  for  supplies  and  for 
other  priests  to  assist  them  in  the  work. 

After  the  return  of  Father  Hennepin  mass  was  daily 
celebrated  on  the  vessel,  and  the  word  of  God  was  preach- 
ed on  Sundays  from  the  deck  of  the  Griffon  to  the  men 
ranged  along  the  shore. 

This  was  the  first  religious  service  that  was  held  in 
the  present  city  of  Buffalo,  and  the  first  time  the  Gospel 
was  announced  in  a  place  which  is  now  adorned  with 
many  beautiful  temples  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God. 

The  Griffon  '  'iled  up  the  lakes  on  August  7,  1679, 
and  Father  Melithon  remained  as  chaplain  to  the  little 
band  which  LaSalle  left  at  the  stocks*  where  the  vessel 
was  built,  to  carry  the  furs  he  expected  to  bring  on  his 

1  At  the  foot  of  Austin  street,  Buffalo. 

2  There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  among  authorities  in  regard  to  the  location  oi 
the  chapel  and  the  cabins  of  Father  Melithon  and  his  companions,  after  the  sailing  of  the 
Griffon.  The  cabin  above  the  Falls  seems  to  have  been  a  mere  temporary  structure,  but 
the  one  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  was  intended  for  a  permanent  storehouse  and  fort.  De- 
nonville,  in  his  act  of  possession,  in  1688,  says  the  stocks  above  the  Falls  still  exist,  but 
the  quarters  which  La  Salle  had  built  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  had  been  burned  by  the 
Senecas. 

The  quarters,  or  fort,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  were  large  and  commodious,  and  it 
was  here,  most  probably,  that  Father  Melithon  and  his  companions  dwelt. 


218 


LOSS  OF  THE  GRIFFON. 

return  from  this  place  to  the  lower  lake.  The  Griffon 
was  lost  in  a  storm ;  the  Senecas  burned  the  storehouse  at 
Lewiston;  the  French  with  Father  JVleiithon  soon  after  re- 
turned to  Fort  Frontenac,  and  thus  disappeared  the  first 
Cathohc  house  of  worship  along  the  banks  of  the  Niagara 


•slit 


mf 


Dodious,  and  it 


!»•■ 


■'Jl 


n 


■  %l 


11 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

OARACONTIB. 

GREAT  ORATOR-HEARS  THE  ELOCyJENT  CHAUMONOT-ENCOUR- 
AGES  CHRISTIANS-FRIEND  OF  THE  FRENCH-GIVES  HIS  CABIN 
FOR  A  CHAPEL-TEMPERANCE  ADVOCATE-EULOGY  OF  LE 
MOYNE-GARACONTIE  AT  THE  GREAT  COUNCIL-HIS  BAPTISM- 
HIS  PIETY  AND  ZEAL-PUBLICLY  PROFESSES  CHRISTIANITY- 
FAREWELL  BANaUETS-PREPARING  FOR  THE  END-HAPPY 
DEATH. 

GARACONTIE  was  born,  in  all  probability,  before 
any  Europeans  entered  the  State  of  New  York, 
about  the  year  1600;  and  he  must  have  been 
quite  a  youth  when  he  heard  the  warriors  or  the  sachems 
tell  of  the  Strange  race  of  pale  faces,  that  had  come  to 
Manhatta'  in  their  great  canoes,  or  had  appeared  near 
the  lake  of  the  invisible  nation  at  the  head  of  a  band  of 
Quatoghies,*  and  had  slaughtered  the  Mohawks  with  their 
wonderful  arms.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  influence 
in  his  country  when  the  Iroquois  first  came  into  friendly 
contact  with  the  French;  and,  as  a  great  orator  and 
nephew  of  the  Sagochieendaguate,'  the  head  sachem  of 
the  league,  he  occupied  an  important  position  in  the 
country.  He  was  as  celebrated  in  his  day  as  Red  Jacket 
was  among  the  modern  Senecas ;  and  whenever  an  em- 
bassy was  to  be  sent  to  the  neighboring  nations,  and 
especially  to  the  Europeans,  all  eyes  turned  to  Garac  )ntie 
as  the  representative  of  his  race.  He  had  listened  in  mute 
astonishment  to  the  wonderful  eloquence  of  the  saintly 

t  New  York  City.       2  Hurons.        3  To-do-da-ho .  214 


THE  FRIEND  OF  THE  FRENCH. 


215 


COUR- 
,  CABIN 
OF  LE 
PTISM- 
\N1TY- 
-HAPPY 


before 
York, 
;  been 
ichems 
jme  to 
d  near 
land  of 
th  their 
fluence 
riendly 
or  and 
lem  of 
in  the 
Jacket 
in  em- 
,  and 
[ac  :)ntie 
lin  mute 
saintly 


Chaumonot,  portraying  the  beauties  and  truths  of  Chris- 
tianity to  the  assembled  nations ;  but  with  true  Indian 
stoicism  he  remained  apparently  indifferent,  and  did  not 
manifest  any  inclination  to  accept  the  Faith.  The  truths 
he  had  heard  from  the  missioners  had  evidently  made  a 
deep  impression  on  his  mind,  for,  after  the  marvelous 
flight  of  the  French  colony  from  Onondaga  in  1658,  he 
became  the  protector  of  the  Christians  and  the  friend  of 
the  French. 

In  1662  he  was  in  the  Mohawk  country,  and  whilst 
there  he  saw  a  large  crucifix,  two  feet  in  height,  which 
had  been  carried  off  by  them  in  one  of  their  raids  on 
Quebec,  and  knowing  the  reverence  the  Christians  had  for 
this  emblem  of  their  faith,  he  bought  it  from  the  Mohawk 
Pagans  and  brought  it  to  Onondaga. '  He  hung  it  up  in 
the  deserted  chapel,  and  then  he  invited  the  French  cap- 
tives and  the  Christian  Indians  to  come  there  to  pray. 
The  mission  bell  was  still  at  the  chapel,  after  the  flight  of 
the  French  colony,  and  Garacontie  had  it  rung  every  morn- 
ing and  evening  to  call  the  Christians  together;  and  he 
encouraged  them  with  banquets  to  maintain  their  devotion 
and  the  practices  of  their  faith.  He  openly  advocated 
alliance  with  the  French,  at  a  time  when  all  the  Iroquois 
nations  were  secretly  plotting  their  destruction,  and  he  be- 
came the  friend  of  the  French  captives,  securing  their 
ransom  by  his  influence,  or  saving  them  from  the  horrors 
of  Indian  torture  by  his  eloquent  pleading 

In  July,  1661,  two  canoes  came  down  the  St.  Law- 
rence with  a  delegation  of  Cayugas  and  Onondagas,  to 
make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  French,  and  to  bring  back 
the  light  of  Faith  to  the  Iroquois  cantons.  The  Cayuga 
chief,  who  had  entertained  the  Fathers  at  his  own  home 

t  Faillon,  Vol.  ),  p.  i. 


•^^mm 


216 


THK  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


.*' . 


five  years  before,  was  at  the  head  of  the  embassy,  and 
he  offered  his  presents,  but  positively  demanded  the  re- 
turn of  the  missioners  to  the  Iroquois  country.  As  an 
evidence  of  the  good  will  of  the  Iroquois  towards  the 
Faith,  he  said  that  the  chapels  were  kept  in  repair,  and 
that  Garacontie  at  Onondaga  did  the  work  of  a  missioner, 
when  no  priest  was  in  the  land. 

Father  LaMoyne  returned  with  this  party  to  Onon- 
daga, where  he  was  received  with  great  honor  by  Gara- 
contie, who  placed  his  own  home  at  the  disposal  of  the 
priest  for  the  services  of  the  Church. '  Through  the  in- 
fluence of  Garacontie,  the  mission  of  Father  LeMoyne 
was,  at  least,  a  partial  success,  as  he  returned  to  Montreal 
the  following  summer  with  eighteen  captives,  after  having 
baptised  about  two  hundred  at  Cayuga  and  Onondaga. 

Garacontie  saw  with  sorrow  the  havoc  that  the  exces- 
sive drinking  of  strong  liquor  was  working  among  his 
people,  and  he  also  saw  that  the  missioners  were  the  only 
Europeans  that  condemned  and  tried  to  prevent  its  sale 
to  the  Indians ;  so  he  openly  declared  that  the  teaching  of 
the  Fathers  was  the  only  salvation  of  his  race.  He  looked 
upon  the  missioners,  therefore,  as  the  benefactors  of  his 
race  long  before  he  professed  his  faith  in  their  religion, 
and  at  every  opportunity  he  employed  his  wonderful 
eloquence  to  bring  them  back  to  the  Iroquois  cantons. 

He  prevailed  upon  his  people,  in  1665,  to  send  a  dele- 
gation to  Quebec  to  make  peace  with  the  French.  At 
the  meeting  with  the  Governor,  De  Tracy,  he  made  a 
speech  which  displayed  all  the  ability  and  eloquence  of 
an  educated  statesman.  Father  LeMoyne  had  died  a  short 
time  before  in  the  wilderness,  and  Garacontie  apostra- 
phized  his  spirit  in  Indian  style:     "Ondessonk,^  listen, 

I  Relations,  1661.        2  The  Indian  name  of  Father  LeMoyne. 


GARACONTIE'S  SPEECH. 


217 


I  implore  thee,  from  the  land  of  the  dead  whither  thou 
too  soon  hast  gone.  Many  times  hast  thou  placed  thy 
head  upon  the  death  scaffolds  of  the  Mohawks,  thou  hast 
fearlessly  leaped  into  their  fires  to  snatch  the  French  from 
the  embers;  peace  and  happiness  followed  thy  footsteps, 
and  friendship  thrived  in  thy  presence.  We  have  seen 
thee  upon  our  council  mats  decide  for  peace  or  war,  our 
cabins  were  too  small  when  thou  entered,  and  our  towns 
too  restricted  when  thou  camest,  so  great  were  the 
crowds  that  wished  to  hear  thy  words.  I  will  not  dis- 
turb thy  repose  with  this  untimely  speech.  So  often 
hast  thou  taught  us  that  this  life  of  misery  shall  be  fol- 
lowed by  one  of  eternal  joy;  and  as  thou  art  now  in  the 
possession  of  this,  why  should  we  deplore  thy  death  ? 

We  mourn  for  thee  because  in  thy  death  we  lost  a 
father  and  a  friend.  We  are  consoled,  however,  because 
thou  hast  found  that  life  of  infinite  joy  of  which  thou  hast 
so  often  spoken."'  He  averted  war  from  his  ov.  nation ; 
peace  soon  followed,  and  he  was  pleased  to  see  the  Father 
again  laboring  among  the  Iroquois. 

Peace  with  the  Indian  allies  of  the  French  was  not 
pleasing  to  the  young  Iroquois  warriors,  and  their  wanton 
attack,  in  1670,  upon  a  defenseless  Algonquin  village 
threatened  to  involve  the  whole  country  in  war,  but  for 
the  prompt  action  of  Garacontie.  He  immediately  sent 
belts  of  wampum  to  the  different  Iroquois  nations  to  res- 
train the  impetuosity  of  their  warriors  who  were  prepar- 
ing for  the  struggle,  and  advised  them  to  send  their  dele- 
gates to  Montreal  where  they  would  meet  the  Algonquins, 
and  they  could  amicably  settle  their  differences  by  the 
arbitration  of  the  Governor. 

The  delegates  from  many  Indian  nations  assembled  at 

I  Relations,  1666,  p.  5. 


ill 


li: 


■tii 


218 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


'i'm 


Quebec,  in  July,  1670,  and  Garacontie  spoke  in  the  name 
of  his  country  in  favor  of  peace ;  and  then  he  addressed 
the  multitudes,  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostle  and  the  fiery 
eloquence  of  the  great  orator,  in  favor  of  the  Christian 
law.  Although  not  a  Christian  himself,  yet  he  had  been 
living  for  some  years  according  to  the  Christian  law,  and 
had  renounced  polygamy,  the  folly  of  dreams,  and  all  the 
superstitions  of  his  race.  He  advised  all  the  Indian  nations 
to  follow  his  example  and  become  Christians,  and  he 
publicly  requested  the  Bishop  to  receive  him  into  the 
Church. 

The  Bishop  learned  from  the  missioners  that  the  Iro- 
quois chief  was  worthy  of  baptism,  and  as  he  had  labored 
to  ransom  the  captives  in  his  own  land  it  was  proper 
that  the  Church  should  free  him  from  the  slavery  of  Satan. 

The  Governor  and  the  daughter  of  the  Intendant  were 
his  sponsors,  whilst  the  Bishop  solemnly  conferred  the 
sacrament  in  the  Cathedral,  in  the  presence  of  many  hun- 
dreds of  dusky  warriors  from  different  tribes  and  nations. 

He  humbly  thanked  the  Bishop  for  granting  him  the 
favor  he  had  long  since  desired,  and  for  having  opened 
for  him  by  baptism  the  gates  of  the  Church.  He  was 
afterwards  entertained  at  a  grand  banquet,  given  in  his 
honor  by  the  Governor,  at  the  fort,  where  he  was  received 
by  the  soldiers  with  military  honors. 

The  effects  of  the  sacrament  of  confirmation,  which 
he  received  on  this  occasion,  were  visible  in  the  greater 
zeal  he  manifested  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
among  his  people  and  in  the  efforts  he  made  to  overthrow 
the  superstitions  of  his  race.  He  advised  the  Fathers  in 
regard  to  the  manner  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the 
Indians,  and  he  encouraged  his  people  to  adopt  Christian- 
ity.   He  attended  mass  every  morning  at  the  little  chapel, 


INFLUENCE  OF  GOOD  EXAMPLE. 


219 


though  his  home  was  more  than  a  mile  distant;  and  his 
holy  life  gained  the  admiration  of  his  people,  although 
the  Pagans  were  disposed  to  blame  him  for  abandoning 
the  customs  and  traditions  of  his  race.  He  carried  his 
rosary  with  him  in  his  travels,  and  recited  it  with  devo- 
tion ;  and  he  ordered  the  public  banquets  to  be  opened 
with  prayer. 

After  his  return  from  Quubec,  at  a  solemn  celebra- 
tion, addressing  his  brethren,  he  said  he  had  always  lab- 
ored for  the  general  weal,  raising  his  voice  wher.  the  in- 
terests of  his  country  required  him  to  speak,  and  risking 
his  life  for  his  people  in  times  of  danger.  "  Is  there  a 
poor  family  in  the  town,"  he  said,  "or  a  poor  widow 
who  can  say  that  I  did  not  use  my  authority  to  provide 
the  help  necessary  to  cultivate  their  fields  and  to  gather 
their  harvests?  When  fire  destroyed  their  homes  and 
consumed  their  goods,  did  I  not  help  them  to  iebuild  and 
to  replenish  their  stores  ?  If  I  have  done  these  things, 
he  said,  "in  the  past,  through  natural  inclination  and 
through  a  motive  of  honor,  I  will  continue  to  perform 
such  honorable  deeds  through  a  higher  motive,  because 
1  thus  obey  the  express  command  of  the  Sovereign  Mas- 
ter of  Life."'  He  was  not  pharisaical  in  relating  the  good 
he  had  done,  for  he  also  told  of  the  evil  deeds  he  had 
committed  and  of  the  scandal  he  had  given  the  young  by 
his  lewd  life  before  he  adopted  the  Christian  law;  but 
he  hoped  that  his  good  life  for  the  future  would  make 
amends  for  his  past  wickedness.  They  must  not  expect 
that  he  would  sanction  the  observance  of  dreams,  or  favor 
the  superstitions  of  his  race.  His  example  favorably  influ- 
enced many  towards  Christianity,  as  they  had  the  greatest 
confidence  in  his  intelligence  and  honor. 

1  Relations,  1671,  p.  16. 


I 


m:k 


lit    ^1 


;.  hit 
..",11 


220 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


■i    ' 


1 


Garacontie  was  an  old  man  at  this  time,  and  visions 
of  the  future  life  were  continually  hovering  before  his 
view,  but  it  was  the  Heaven  of  the  Christian,  and  not  the 
happy  hunting  ground  of  the  Indian,  to  which  he  aspired ; 
so  when  sickness  came  his  first  care  was  for  his  soul.  In 
1676  he  gathered  his  friends  about  him,  and  gave  three 
farewell  banquets,  at  which  he  expressed  his  opinion  on 
important  matters,  and  revealed  his  last  wishes  to  his 
friends.  In  the  first  banquet  he  condemned  the  doctrine  of 
dreams,  which  he  thought  was  inimical  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  his  race.  In  the  second  banquet  he  denounced 
those  feasts  in  which  the  guests  were  compelled  to  devour 
all  the  food  placed  before  them,  or  to  indulge  in  other 
unbecoming  or  indecent  deeds.  In  the  third  banquet  he 
sang  his  death  song  in  Indian  style,  and  recounted  the 
glorious  deeds  of  his  life  for  the  benefit  of  his  family  and 
friends,  and  in  the  interests  of  his  race.  It  was  in  the 
evening  of  life,  especially,  that  the  enlightened  and  Chris- 
tian spirit  of  Garacontie  was  revealed.  He  saluted  God 
as  the  Sovereign  Lord  and  Master  of  Life,  in  whose  hands 
are  our  lives,  as  well  as  the  destiny  of  the  world.  He 
saluted  the  Bishop  of  Canada,  who  had  received  him  into 
the  Church,  and  in  whose  presence  he  had  made  the 
solemn  promises  of  baptism  which  he  had  striven  faith- 
fully to  observe.  He  called  upon  the  Bishop  to  pray  for 
him,  that  he  might  die  a  good  Christian  and  appear 
worthy  in  the  sight  of  God.  He  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  his  faith,  and  condemned  all  the  errors  and  super- 
stitions of  his  Pagan  life. 

He  recovered  sufficiently  to  attend  the  midnight 
mass  at  Christmas ;  but  the  weather  was  very  cold  and  a 
pulmonary  disease  attacked  his  feeble  frame,  and,  kneel- 
ing there  in  the  little  chapel  he  told  Father  de  Lamber- 


A  HAPPY  DEATH. 


221 


ville  that  his  death  was  near,  and  he  fervently  made  his 
confession.  During  his  last  illness  he  frequently  prayed, 
or  he  had  some  pious  Iroquois  recite  the  rosary  for  him 
until  he  peacefully  departed.  "The  great  Catholic  chief 
of  Onondaga,  Daniel  Garacontie,  stands  in  history  as  one 
of  the  most  extraordinary  men  of  the  Iroquois  League."' 

I  Shea. 


Hi,  « 


!  WiWIiiil'  I 


*  i 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CATHERINE    TBOAKOUITA. 

PAGAN  INDIANS  IMMORAL-HIDDEN  VIRTUES  OF  CONVERTi?-CATH- 

erine's  birth  place-her  parents-small  pox  RAVAGLS- 
change  of  home-first  meeting  with  missioners-desires 
to  become  a  christian  -  her  baptism  -  persecution- 
flight-life  at  the  sault-vows  virginity  -  failing 
health-honored  as  a  saint-  her  relics. 

THE  Iroquois  had  many  noble  traits  of  character, 
which  served  on  occasions  as  the  ground- work 
for  Christian  sanctity ;  and  though  they  were  ad- 
dicted to  cruelty  and  many  forms  of  vice,  through  ignor- 
ance of  any  higher  law  than  instinct  or  pleasure,  yet  they 
needed  but  to  be  shown  the  beauty  and  worth  of  Chris- 
tian virtue  to  be  led  on  to  the  highest  degree  of  holiness. 
The  Indian  maiden's  first  step  towards  Christianity  was 
in  the  path  of  holy  purity.  This  virtue  was  not  known 
among  the  Pagan  Indians,  nor  was  it  ever  practised  before 
the  advent  of  the  Christian  missioners.  Its  inculcation 
by  the  Fathers  was  a  scrange  revelation  to  people  long 
abandoned  to  unrestrained  lust;  but  the  women  were  not 
slow  to  perceive  that  the  new  doctrine  was  an  honor  to 
their  sex,  and  its  practice  would  confer  upon  them  a  dig- 
nity they  had  not  before  enjoyed. 

Many  deeds  of  eminent  virtue  were  performed  by  the 
Iroquois  converts  unknown  to  the  world,  and  many  holy 
lives  were  spent  in  the  forests,  like  the  flowers  of  the 
desert,    whose  beauty  and   whose  fragrance  were  not 


tion 

mg 

Inot 

to 

fig- 


CATHERINE  TEGAKOUITA. 


11 


f 


Ithe 

|oly 
the 
lot 


T," 
■  i 

:| 

-  * 

THE  LIFE  OF  TEGAKOUITA. 


223 


even  perceived  by  the  world ;  but  some  examples  have 
been  recorded  which  show  the  effect  of  Catholic  teaching 
upon  the  souls  of  these  simple  children  of  nature.  The 
life  of  Tegakouita,  a  Mohawk  maiden,  was  written  by 
Father  Chauchetiere,  who  was  her  spiritual  director  at 
the  Iroquois  settlement  of  the  Sault,  near  Montreal,  and 
gives  us  an  idea  of  the  effect  of  Christian  morality  upon 
the  lives  of  the  Indians. 

Situated  upon  a  slight  eminence  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Mohawk  River,  a  short  distance  west  of  the  Scho- 
harie, was  the  first  village  of  the  Mohawks,  near  which 
Rend  Goupil  was  slain  in  1642,  for  having  taught  an 
Indian  child  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  same 
people  also  put  the  saintly  Father  Jogues  to  death  a  few 
years  later,  when  he  came  among  them  to  announce  the 
Gospel.  The  blood  of  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  Christians, 
and  the  most  beautiful  flower  which  sprang  from  the  soil 
sanctified  by  the  blood  of  these  holy  martyrs  was  Tega- 
kouita, who  was  born  in  this  village'  in  1656,  and  who 
has  been  revered  by  different  generations  as  the  most 
saintly  person  of  her  race. 

Her  father  was  a  Mohawk  Pagan,  but  her  mother  was 
an  Algonquin  captive  who  had  been  instructed  and  re- 
ceived into  the  Church  by  the  French  at  Three  Rivers, 
before  the  Iroquois  invaded  her  home  and  carried  her 
from  her  native  land.  The  light  of  faith  began  to  shine 
over  the  benighted  Iroquois  about  the  time  of  Tegakoui-a's 
birth,  when  Father  LeMoyne  visited  the  Mohawk  vil- 
lages as  ambassador  and  as  missioner;  but  he  never  met 
the  Algonquin  Christian  mother,  nor  did  he  baptize  her 
infant  child. 

In  the  winter  of  1659-60,  small-pox  ravaged  the  Mo- 

I  The  village  had  been  removed  to  a  differen.'  site  shortly  after  Goupil's  death. 


' 


.ii 


w 


Eli; 


224 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


hawk  villages  and  numbered  among  its  victims  the  father 
and  mother  of  Tegakouita,  and  left  its  indelible  mark  upon 
her  features,  and  nearly  destroyed  her  vision.  She  was 
taken  in  charge  by  her  uncle,  who  was  the  leading  chief 
of  the  village;  and  her  aunt  taught  her  the  arts  of  Indian 
embroidery,  and  all  the  work  of  an  Indian  maiden.  As 
the  small-pox  had  left  her  weak  eyes  she  was  not  inclined 
to  take  part  in  the  games  of  the  Mohawk  youth,  and  she 
was  thus  saved  from  some  of  the  vices  of  her  race. 

After  the  small-pox  scourge  had  swept  over  the  vil- 
lage, in  1660,  the  site  was  abandoned  and  another  town 
was  built  farther  up  the  valley,  on  the  bank  of  Auries  Creek. 
DeTracy  came  with  a  French  army  in  1666,  destroyed  the 
Mohawk  towns  and  the  large  stores  of  provisions,  and 
compelled  the  Indians  to  sue  for  peace.  The  next  spring 
the  Mohawks  requested  the  French  priests  to  come  to 
dwell  among  them,  impelled  more  through  the  necessity 
of  pleasing  the  French  than  through  any  desire  of  learn- 
ing the  teachings  of  Christianity.  After  the  destruction 
of  their  towns  by  DeTracy,  the  Mohawks  rebuilt  on  the 
north  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  town  in  which  Tega- 
kouita dwelt  was  known  as  Gandaouge,  or  Caughna- 
waga,  which  means  the  Rapids,  because  here  the  spark- 
ling waters  of  the  river  gurgled  in  swift  flowing  waves 
over  the  rocky  decline  of  the  river. 

When  Fathers  Fremin,  Pierron,  and  Bruyas,  came 
in  1667  as  the  first  missioners  to  the  Mohawks,  they  tar- 
ried at  Gandaouge,  the  first  village  on  the  route  from 
Montreal;  and  they  became  the  guests  of  Tegakouita's 
uncle,  as  the  chief  man  of  the  town.  They  only  remained 
here  two  days,  and  Tegakouita  was  too  timid  to  learn 
much  of  the  faith  of  her  mother.  A  church  was  built  in 
the  village,  and  a  faithful  little  congregation  was  formed; 


TEGAKOUITA  BECOMES  A  CHRISTIAN. 


22ri 


but  Tegakouita  was  not  among  the  number,  as  she  feared 
the  displeasure  of  her  uncle,  who  was  hostile  to  the  relig- 
ion of  the  French.  She  only  awaited  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity, however,  to  manifest  her  desire  of  becoming  a 
Christian.  The  opportunity  came  in  the  autumn  of  1675, 
when  she  was  about  nineteen  years  of  age.  She  had 
accidently  injured  her  foot^  and  was  obliged  to  remain  in 
her  cabin  with  some  decrepit  old  people,  whilst  her  com- 
panions were  in  the  field  gathering  the  new  corn  for  the 
winter's  store.  Father  Lamberville  was  making  his  round 
of  the  village  when  he  entered  the  cabin  of  Tegakouita, 
who  at  once  expressed  her  desire  of  becoming  a  Chris- 
tian. She  had  often  heard  some  of  her  companions  sing- 
ing the  hymns  that  Father  Boniface  had  taught  tnem;  she 
had  beheld,  no  doubt,  the  beautiful  ceremonies  in  the 
little  chapel  at  Christmas;  and  she  had  often  listened  to 
the  teachings  of  the  Fathers;  so  her  present  declaration 
was  not  a  sudden  impulse,  but  a  serious  resolution  she 
had  long  since  formed.  She  was  enrolled  among  the 
number  of  catecumens,  and  began  to  attend  the  chapel 
instructions  to  prepare  for  the  sacrament  of  baptism.  All 
through  the  winter  she  learned  the  doctrine  taught  by 
the  Fathers,  and  anxiously  awaited  the  moment  when 
she  would  be  received  into  the  Church  of  her  Algonquin 
mother.  The  missioners  did  not  receive  many  adults 
into  the  Church,  as  there  was  always  so  much  danger 
that  they  would  lapse  into  their  old  vices  and  Pagan 
practices;  but  Tegakouita  was  so  reserved  and  modest 
and  the  people  spoke  so  well  of  her,  that  Father  de  Lam- 
berville decided  to  baptize  her  on  Easter  Sunday.  In 
baptism  she  took  the  name  of  Catherine;  and  she  imme- 
diately began  a  life  of  prayer,  of  self-denial,  and  of  emi- 
nent virtue,  such  as  she  saw  manifested  in  the  lives  of 


Il, 


i    V 


(■ 


^iip 


226 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


;.  I  .f. 
:1  •'■::. 


the  saintly  missionaries.  Persecution  and  calumny  as- 
sailed her;  the  Pagans  attempted  to  lead  her  into  their 
life  of  sin,  or  slay  her,  but  she  remained  steadfast,  and 
was  satisfied  to  suffer  persecution  for  the  sake  of  her 
Saviour.  She  would  not  marry  at  the  command  of  her 
guardians,  because  she  had  given  her  heart  entirely  to 
God.  Most  of  the  adult  Christians  had  fled  from  the 
valley  of  the  Mohawk  on  account  of  persecution,  and  the 
eyes  of  Catherine  wistfully  turned  towards  the  new 
Christian  Caughnawaga  on  the  banks  of  the  River  St. 
Lawrence.  Father  de  Lamberville  advised  her  to  flee 
from  her  persecutors,  as  death  seemed  to  await  her  in  the 
Mohawk  valley. 

Garonhiague,  or  Hot  Ashes,  a  noted  Mohawk  chief, 
who  had  joined  the  little  band  of  Christian  Iroquois  at  the 
Sault,  returned  to  his  old  home  in  1677,  with  one  of 
Catherine's  relatives,  for  a  visit;  and  Catherine  immedi- 
ately prepared  her  plans  for  escape.  Discovery  meant 
death,  but  Garonhiague  was  a  brave  as  well  as  a  wise 
warrior,  and  he  made  a  successful  arrangement  for  the 
flight  of  his  young  Christian  protegee.  Catherine  fled 
through  the  forest  on  unbeaten  paths,  in  company  with 
her  Christian  relative,  whilst  her  Pagan  uncle  followed  in 
hot  haste,  uttering  dire  threats  of  vengeance;  but  she 
managed  to  elude  her  pursuer,  and  reached  in  safety  her 
new  Christian  home. 

There  was  a  model  Indian  Christian  community  at 
the  Sault,  and  in  the  little  chapel  Catherine  spent  all  the 
hours  she  could  spare  from  her  daily  life  before  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  She  lived  with  her  relatives  and 
engaged  in  all  the  labors  of  the  other  Indian  maidens ; 
but  she  would  not  marry,  though  she  had  many  favor- 
able offers,  because  she  wished  to  live  a  virgin,  as  she 


TEGAKOUITA  LED  A  MODEL  LIFE. 


227 


y  at 
the 
the 
and 

Isns; 


believed  this  state  more   perfect  and  pleasing  to  God. 

When  leaving  her  Mohawk  home,  Father  de  Lam- 
berville  sent  a  note  with  her  to  the  pastor  at  the  Sault,  in 
which  he  wrote:  "Catherine  Tegakouita  goes  to  live  at 
the  Sault.  I  pray  you  to  take  the  charge  of  her  direction. 
You  will  soon  know  the  treasure  we  are  giving  you. 
Keep  it  well,  therefore,  and  may  it  profit  in  your  hands 
to  God's  glory  and  to  the  salvation  of  a  soul  assuredly 
very  dear  to  Him."'  The  people  at  the  Sault,  as  v/ell  as 
the  Fathers,  soon  learned  that  they  had  received  a  spiritual 
jewel  of  great  value  in  the  advent  of  Catherine,  as  she  led 
a  life  of  such  remarkable  holiness  and  piety  that  she  was 
a  model  and  an  inspiration  to  the  people  of  her  race. 

She  prepared  assiduously  for  her  first  communion, 
which  she  received  in  the  little  chapel  at  Christmas;  and 
ever  after  she  strove  to  receive  the  Holy  Eucharist  every 
Sunday.  The  greatest  affliction  came  when  she  was 
separated  from  the  little  chapel,  the  place  she  cherished 
most  on  earth,  as  she  was  obliged  to  accompany  a  hunt- 
ing party  into  the  deep  forests  to  obtain  their  annual  sup- 
ply of  food;  but  even  then,  like  the  saintly  Jogues  on  the 
Mohawk,  she  erected,  in  a  retired  nook,  a  little  bark 
screen  where  she  could  pray  without  molestation,  and 
could  bring  vividly  before  her  mind  the  presence  of  our 
Divine  Lord  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  chapel  on  the  St. 
Lawrence.  She  could  never  again  be  induced  to  join  a 
hunting  party,  but  she  was  willing  to  perform  any  kind 
of  drudgery  or  toil  if  she  could  be  near  the  house  of  God. 

Catherine  had  an  intimate  friend  at  the  Sault,  a  young 
girl,  from  whom  many  of  the  holy  deeds  performed  by 
this  saintly  maiden  were  learned.  She  made  a  vow  of 
perpetual  virginity  in  March,  1679,  and  when  she  was 

I  Messenger  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 


228  THE  1ROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

asked  afterwards  by  her  relatives  why  she  did  not  marry 
she  could  truly  say  she  was  not  her  own,  as  she  had 
dedicated  her  life  entirely  to  God.  Father  Chauchetiere, 
who  knew  her  well,  says  that  her  life  at  the  Sault  was 
like  that  of  St.  Catherine  of  Sienna,  and  might  well  serve 
as  a  model  for  the  most  fervent  Christians  of  Europe. 

Her  health  began  to  fail  in  1679;  she  would  not, 
however,  relinquish  any  possible  works  of  virtue,  but 
became  more  zealous  and  fervid  as  the  reflected  vision  of 
God  became  more  luminous  and  distinct  in  the  approach- 
ing light  of  eternity. 

Father  Fremin  gave  her  the  last  sacraments  in  April, 
1680,  and  he  requested  her  to  address  those  who  gather- 
ed around  her  in  the  cabin,  for  she  had  unconsciously 
been  the  source  of  much  fervor  during  her  short  life,  and 
he  wished  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  her  beautiful  life 
among  her  people.  She  died  in  Holy  Week,  when  the 
Church  was  commemorating  the  sad  mysteries  of  the 
passion  of  our  Lord,  which  she  often  strove  to  imitate  by 
the  severe  penances  and  scourages  which  she  inflicted 
upon  her  own  innocent  body. 

The  Indians  came  to  kiss  her  hands  as  a  tribute  of 
respect  to  her  holy  life.  Her  reputation  for  virtue  soon 
spread  abroad,  and  her  grave  became  a  holy  shrine 
whither  the  devout  faithful  of  Canada  went  as  pilgrims 
to  pray.  Bishop  Laval  came  with  the  Marquis  Denonville 
to  pray  at  the  tomb,  as  he  said,  of  the  "Genevieve  of 
Canada." 

The  Fathers  of  the  third  Plenary  Council  at  Baltimore 
solicited  from  the  Holy  See  the  introduction  of  the  cause 
of  her  canonization;'  and  members  of  different  Indian 
tribes*  sent  an  humble  petition  to  Rome  in  favor  of  this 
most  illustrious  child  of  their  race. 

\  Shea.        2  Walworth  Kateri  Tegakouita. 


TEG\KOUITA  S  RESTING  PLACE. 


229 


Her  relics  were  eagerly  sought,  and  many  were 
carried  away  by  devout  pilgrims,  but  some  still  remain 
or.  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  which  had  so  often 
witnessed  the  struggles  of  her  people  against  the  en- 
croachments of  civilized  foes.  Her  body  was  first  buried 
near  the  cross  on  the  banks  of  the  river  but  it  was  later 
removed  to  a  resting  place  beneath  the  chapel.  When 
the  village  site  was  removed,  the  precious  relics  were  de- 
posited in  the  new  chapel  as  one  of  its  treasures.  Part 
of  her  body  was  brought  to  St.  Regis,  where  the  new 
colony  was  formed,  and  the  remainder  is  still  preserved 
in  the  vaults  of  the  little  church  at  Caughnawaga,'  on  the 
St.  Lawrence  River,  a  few  miles  above  Montreal.  A 
granite  monument  was  erected  to  her  memory  in  1890 
by  the  Rev.  Clarence  Walworth  of  Albany.  This  monu- 
ment was  blessed  by  the  Bishop  of  Albany  in  July,  1890, 
in  the  presence  of  the  Archbishop  of  Montreal  and  a  large 
assemblage  of  priests  and  people.  A  large  cross  was 
placed  over  the  tomb,  which  stands  as  a  mute  memorial 
of  the  triumphs  of  Christianity  in  transforming  this  savage 
child  of  the  forest  into  a  gentle  Christian  saint. 

I  The  writer  had  the  pleasure  of  beholding  these  relics  in  the  summer  of  1894. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

FATHER   JOaUES. 

AT  COLl.EGE-ON  THE  HURON  MISSION-JOURNEY  TO  QUEBEC-CAP- 
TURE-TORTURE-CAPTIVITY-ESCAPE-AMBASSADOR TO  MO- 
HAWKS-THE  MYSTERIOUS  BOX-FIRST  MISSIONER  TO  MO- 
HAWKS-DANGER-DEATK-CHAPEL  ERECTED  TO  HIS  MEMORY 
-PILGRIM  SHRINE. 

FATHER  Isaac  Jogues  was  the  first  missioner  among 
the  Iroquois,  and  he  was  the  first  to  seal  his  work 
with  a  martyr's  death.  He  was  born  in  1607,  at 
Orleans,  France,  of  pious  Catholic  parents.  He  early 
attended  a  Jesuit  college,  where  he  was  soon  inspired 
with  the  desire  of  an  Indian  missioner's  life.  During  his 
college  course  he  met  tnree  famous  Huron  missionaries, 
Brebeuf,  Lalemant,  and  Masse,  who  were  forced  to  return 
to  France  in  1629,  when  the  English  took  possession  of 
the  French  posts  in  the  New  World.  He  came  to  Canada 
in  1636,  to  assist  nis  brethren  among  the  Hurons,  and  he 
immediately  experienced  the  hardships  of  the  Indian  mis- 
sionary's life,  in  the  long  journey  up  the  Ottawa  River  to 
the  country  of  the  Hurons.  Here  he  labored  with  the 
zeal  of  an  apostle,  and  looked  forward  for  the  martyr's 
death  as  the  reward  of  his  toil.  He  knelt  before  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  one  day  and  besought  our  Lord  to 
grant  him  the  grace  of  a  martyr's  death,  and  he  seemed 
to  hear  a  voice  saying:  "Thy  prayer  is  her.rd." 

Father  Lalemant  selected  him  in  1642  for  the  hazard- 
ous iourney  to  Quebec,  to  bring  back  supplies  and  goods 

a3o 


IIHI' 


r 


IROQUOIS  AT  WAR  ^'■ITH  THE  HURONS, 


231 


for  the  numerous  missions  around  Georgian  Bay.  The 
Iroquois  were  at  war  with  the  Hurons,  and  small  bands 
lay  concealed  in  some  favorable  ambush  for  days  at  a 
time,  along  the  banks  of  the  Ottawa  River,  waiting  to 
attack  the  Huron  trading  parties  along  the  route.  Jogues 
and  his  party  reached  Quebec  in  safety,  but  were  attacked 
and  plundered,  and  some  were  slain  on  the  return  voy- 
age, and  the  priest  with  others  of  his  party  was  led  a  cap- 
tive to  the  Mohawk  towns. '  There  were  about  forty  per- 
sons in  the  Huron  party,  and  all  of  these  looked  to  Father 
Jogues  for  spiritual  consolation  in  their  hour  of  need.  He 
not  only  comforted  his  little  flock,  but  he  gave  them  cour- 
age by  the  heroi:  fortitude  he  displayed  in  bearing 
patiently  the  cruel  tortures  inflicted  on  him.  The  bones 
of  his  fingers  were  crunched  between  the  teeth  of  a  Mo- 
hawk warrior;  his  thumb  was  cut  off,  and  the  nails  were 
torn  from  his  fingers;  yet  he  did  not  complain,  but  asked 
God  to  forgive  him,  and  even  rejoiced  that  he  was  found 
worthy  to  suffer  for  Chris^'. 

Then  began  his  long  and  dreary  captivity  as  a  slave; 
but  even  the  burdens  of  this  life,  were  lightened  by  the 
good  he  was  occasionally  able  to  do  for  his  fellow  Chris- 
tian captives ;  and  the  knowledge  he  acquired  of  the  peo- 
ple and  their  language  also  relieved  the  monotony  of  toil, 
as  he  hoped  some  day  to  put  this  knowledge  to  good 
use  as  a  missioner  among  them. 

In  the  summer  of  1643  Father  Jogues  was  with  a 
fishing  party  on  the  Hudson  River,  a  few  miles  below  the 
Dutch  trading  post,  when  he  heard  of  the  cruel  torture  of 
some  Huron  captives  in  the  Mohawk  villages,  and  he  de- 
sired to  return  to  administer  spiritual  consolation  to  these 
poor  unfortunates  before  death.    The  Mohawks  had  been 

I  See  Chapter  II. 


I 


232 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


prowling  around  Fort  Richelieu,  and  as  an  excuse  for 
their  presence  they  induced  Father  Jogues  to  write  a  note 
to  the  commandant.  The  bearer  of  the  message  never 
returned;  and  his  party  was  fired  upon  by  the  French, 
who,  no  doubt,  suspected  some  evil  design  from  the 
presence  of  the  enemy.  The  Mohawks  attributed  this 
attack  to  the  letter  of  Father  Jogues,  and  they  resolved  to 
put  him  to  death.  The  Dutch  commander"  was  aware 
of  the  evil  design  of  the  Iroquois,  and  he  induced  the 
Father  to  steal  away  at  night  from  his  Indian  captors,  so 
that  he  might  escape  to  France  in  a  vessel  which  was 
then  lying  in  the  harbor.  He  reached  the  vessel  in  safety; 
but  the  Iroquois  soon  discovered  their  loss,  and  they 
threatened  to  destroy  the  trading  post  unless  he  were  re- 
stored to  them.  It  was  only  after  long  weeks  of  hiding 
and  negotiations  between  the  Dutch  and  the  Indians  that 
he  was  finally  enabled  to  sail  for  home. 

A  conquering  hero,  or  a  great  saint,  could  not  have 
been  received  with  greater  honors  by  all  classes  in  Europe 
than  was  this  humble  martyr  of  the  Mohawk.  The  Pope 
called  him  a  martyr  of  Christ,  and  Queen  Anne  of  Aus- 
tria said  he  was  a  living  romance  of  wonder  and  heroism. 
His  heart  turned  away  from  these  honors  and  from  the 
comforts  of  civilization  to  the  rude  life  in  the  forest,  and 
he  longed  to  return  to  his  chosen  field  of  labor  whither 
the  vision  of  a  martyr's  crown  lured  him  to  toil. 

After  a  few  months'  sojourn  in  France  he  again  sailed 
for  the  New  World,  and  was  soon  laboring  among  'the 
Indians  at  Montreal.  His  long  captivity  among  the  Mo- 
hawks had  enabled  him  to  learn  their  language  well,  and 
when  Governor  Montmagny  had  concluded  a  treaty  of 
peace  with  these  people,  he  selected  Father  Jogues  as  an 

I  The  Dutch  States  General,  at  the  request  of  the  Queen  Regent  of  France,  had  given 
orders  to  secure  the  release  of  Fathf  Jogues. 


FATHER.  JOGUES  AS  AMBASSADOR. 


233 


ambassador  to  ratify  the  terms  in  the  land  of  the  Iroquois. 
He  was  received  with  honor  in  the  land  where  he  had 
been  a  slave,  because  he  came  as  the  ambassador  of  a 
powerful  people.  His  mission  was  not  merely  for  peace, 
but  he  wished  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel;  so  he  brought  the  sacred  vessels  and  vestments 
for  the  altar,  and  he  left  them  where  they  would  be  con- 
venient for  his  ministry  when  he  returned  as  the  am- 
bassador of  Christ.' 

He  had  a  presentiment  that  he  would  never  return 
from  his  third  journey  to  the  land  of  the  Mohawks;  and 
before  setting  out  he  wrote  to  a  friend  in  France:  "  Ibo  et 
non  redibo." — "I  go,  but  I  will  not  return." 

The  superstitious  Mohawks  imagined  that  he  left 
some  evil  spirit  in  the  box  in  which  he  had  enclosed  the 
articles  for  the  altar,  or  that  he  brought  some  evil  okki  to 
spread  pestilence  and  death  throughout  the  land  for  the  in- 
juries they  had  inflicted  on  him  during  his  captivity;  so 
they  cast  the  box  into  the  river,  and  they  only  awaited  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  treat  him  in  the  same  manner,  or 
to  knock  out  his  brains  with  a  hatchet.  The  prospect  of 
a  mos'  cruel  death  did  not  deter  this  holy  man  from  his 
mission,  but  these  Indian  tortures  were  like  the  Siren 
songs  that  lured  him  to  death.  He  did  not  desire  any 
greater  reward  for  his  labor  than  death  in  the  service  o 
his  Master. 

The  Mohawks  had  been  the  greatest  scourge  of  the 
Church,  and  the  greatest  terror  of  the  French;  what 
greater  good,  then,  could  any  one  do  than  to  bring  these 
savages  into  the  Church  ?  He  might  not  succeed,  he 
might  even  lose  his  life  in  the  attempt,  but  failure  would 

I  Father  Jogues  did  some  missionary  work  on  this  visit,  in  hearing  the  confessions  of 
some  captives,  and  baptizing  children,  or  those  who  were  ill.  At  Saratoga  he  met  Teresa, 
the  saintly  Huron,  who  was  overjoyed  with  his  presence. 


234 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


I 


\    >■ 


,    \ 


not  injure  the  cause,  and  his  life  was  in  the  hands  of  God. 

With  John  de  LaLande,  a  young  Frenchman,  and 
some  Hurons,  Father  Jogues  started  at  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber for  his  new  Mission  of  the  Martyrs  among  the  Mo- 
hawks. The  Hurons  had  not  proceeded  far  on  the  jour- 
ney when  fear  of  their  old  enemies,  or  presentiment  of  im- 
pending evil,  conquered  their  courage  and  all  but  one 
abandoned  the  party  to  its  fate.  A  great  change  had  come 
over  the  spirit  of  the  Mohawks  since  the  embassy  of 
Father  Jogues.  Their  corn  crop  was  a  partial  failure,  and 
a  pestilential  disease  had  ravaged  their  homes.  Accord- 
ing to  their  theories,  these  misfortunes  were  caused  by 
the  evil  spirits  sent  into  their  land  by  their  enemies.  They 
resolved,  therefore,  to  renew  the  war  against  the  French, 
the  Hurons,  and  the  Algonquins;  and  war  parties  had  al- 
ready set  out  against  the  French  whilst  leather  Jogues  was 
on  the  way  to  announce  the  gospel  of  peace  to  these 
people.  One  of  these  parties  met  Father  Jogues  near  Lake 
George,'  and  they  immediately  bound  him,  and  led  him 
prisoner  to  the  town  in  which  he  had  spent  so  many 
dreary  months  of  captivity.  They  consoled  him  by  say- 
ing they  would  soon  put  him  to  death :  and  although  they 
tore  the  flesh  from  his  arms  and  devoured  it,  to  see  if  it 
were  the  flesh  of  a  Manitou,^  yet  they  said  his  torments 
would  be  of  short  duration. 

There  was  a  difference  of  opinion  in  the  village  in 
regard  to  the  fate  of  the  prisoners.  The  Wolf  clan  strenu- 
ously fought  for  the  preservation  of  their  lives,  whilst  the 
Bear  clan  was  resolved  to  put  them  to  death.  The  de- 
cision was  referred  to  the  council  at  Tionnontoguen,  but 

I  Father  fogues  was  the  first  to  give  this  lake  a  name,  and  he  called  it  the  Lake  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  because  he  discovered  it  on  the  feast  of  Corpus  Christi.  It  retained  this 
name  for  more  than  a  hundred  years,  until  an  English  sycophant  changed  it  to  George,  hi 
honor  of  his  king.         3  Martin,  Life  of  Jogues. 


FATHER  JOGUES  MURDERED. 


235 


members  of  the  Bear  clan  had  sealed  their  fate  before  the 
delegates  could  return.  On  the  evening  of  October  i8th, 
some  members  of  the  Bear  clan  invited  Father  Jogues  to 
a  banquet  at  one  of  their  cabins.  He  went  willingly,  as 
he  wished  to  gain  their  good  graces  to  prepare  the  way 
for  the  introduction  of  Christianity.  As  he  was  crossing 
the  threshold  of  the  cabin  to  which  he  was  invited,  a 
blow  from  the  tomahawk  of  a  treacherous  member  of  the 
Bear  clan  felled  him  to  the  earth,  and  his  head  was  cut 
off  and  placed  upon  a  palisade  over  the  town,  as  a  warn- 
ing of  the  hostile  spirit  against  the  French  existing  among 
these  savage  foes. ' 

Those  who  knew  Father  'ogues  well  looked  upon 
him  as  a  saint  in  his  life,  and  he  was  surely  a  martyr  in 
his  death. 

After  more  than  two  centuries  an  interest  has  been 
awakened  in  the  sufferings  and  labors  of  these  early 
Christian  heroes,  in  introducing  Christianity  and  civiliza- 
tion among  the  savage  nations  of  the  Iroquois  League.  A 
shrine  has  recently  been  erected  over  the  place  where 
Father  Jogues  met  his  death,  and  every  year  thousands  of 
daintily  clad  feet  tread  the  ground  once  hallowed  by  the 
rough  moccasined  feet  of  the  Jesuit  saint,  and  they  kneel 
in  prayer  at  the  tomb  of  him  who  was  first  to  bear  the 
tidings  of  Faith  to  the  Indians  of  the  Mohawk  valley. 

I  Father  Jogues  was  most  probably  adopted  intothe  Wolf  clan  during  the  period  of  his 
captivity  among  the  Mohawks;  and  when  he  came  as  ambassador  to  the  nation  he  gave  a 
present  to  the  Wolf  clan,  requesting  them  to  keep  their  fires  lit  for  the  French,  and  to  en- 
tertain them  in  their  homes.  The  Wolf  clan,  therefore,  pleaded  for  his  life.  Kaotsaeton, 
the  great  chief,  also  cast  his  influence  in  favor  of  the  Jesuit's  life,  but  the  Bear  clan  had 
already  solved  the  difficulty,  before  the  council  had  time  to  decide. 


m 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

MISSION  OP  THE  PRESENTATION. 

FATHER  PIQUET  FOUNDS  A  MISSION  FOR  IROQUOIS-ENGLISH  OP- 
POSITION-MISSION HOUSE  BURNED  BY  MOHAWKS-PIQUET'S 
MISSIONARY  CRUISE-FRENCH  FORT  AT  OGDENSBURG  AN  EN- 
CROACHMENT UPON  ENGLISH  RIGHTS-WAR  INCIDENTS- 
FRENCH  FORTS  FALL-PIQUET  RETIRES-RETURNS  TO  FRANCE. 

THE  Rev.  Francis  Piquet,  a  Sulpitian,  was  stationed 
at  Two  Mountains  in  1740,  and  in  1743  he  ac- 
companied the  warriors  of  his  flock  in  their  at- 
tack on  Fort  Edward.  During  this  period  he  came  in 
friendly  contact  with  many  of  the  warriors  of  the  Iro- 
quois cantons,  who  led  him  to  believe  that  they  were 
favorably  disposed  toward  Christianity.  After  some  cor- 
respondence with  the  Governor,  and  with  Jonquiere,  who 
was  then  at  Niagara,  Father  Piquet  started  in  September, 
1748,  to  select  a  site  near  Fort  Frontenac  for  his  new 
mission. 

He  selected  a  beautiful  location  on  the  banks  of  the 
Oswegatchie,  where  its  waters  flow  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  here,  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Ogdens- 
burg,  he  built  his  little  palisaded  fort,  and  erected  the 
chapel  which  he  called  LaPresentation,  in  honor  of  the 
patronal  feast  of  the  Sulpitians. ' 

The  harbor  would  afford  shelter  to  many  canoes,  or 
even  larger  vessels,  in  rough  weather;  the  lands  were 
fertile,  the  timber  good  and  abundant,  and  the  place  was 

I  Shea,  "The  Catholic  Church  in  Colo..  •!  Days."  2j6 


DESTROYED  THE  NEW  CHAPEL. 


237 


favorably  situated  for  a  fort  and  trading  post  as  well  as 
for  a  mission.  When  the  chapel  was  ready,  Father  Piquet 
visited  the  Iroquois  nations  to  invite  those  favorably  dis- 
posed towards  Christianity  to  come  to  dwell  in  this  new 
home.  Many  were  preparing  to  respond  to  his  call,  but 
the  English'  incited  the  Mohawks  to  destroy  the  new 
mission,  as  they  saw  in  it  an  obstacle  to  their  trade  and  a 
menace  to  ti\eir  power.  A  band  of  warriors  descended 
upon  the  defenseless  fort  in  October,  1749,  and  applied 
the  torch  to  the  chapel  and  the  palisades. 

The  zealous  missionary  was  not  discouraged  by  his 
loss,  but  immediately  made  preparations  to  rebuild  his 
chapel.  A  detachment  of  soldiers  was  sent  from  Fort 
Frontenac  to  protect  the  place  from  further  incursions  of 
hostile  Indians;  work  was  begun  on  the  new  fort  and 
chapel,*  and  provisions  and  ammunition  were  sent  by  the 
Governor  for  the  warriors,  who  would  come  to  dwell  in 
the  new  mission.  In  July,  1747,  when  a!'  was  in  readi- 
ness at  the  new  mission,  Father  Piquet  made  a  cruise 
around  Lake  Ontario,  in  one  of  the  king's  ships,  as  far  as 
Fort  Niagara,  to  invite  the  scattered  Iroquois  to  come  and 
dwell  at  LaPresentation.  He  visited  the  Senecas,  and 
brought  a  number  of  them  to  the  fort  at  Niagara,  where 
he  said  mass  for  them  in  the  chapel.  Then  he  cruised 
along  the  south  shore  of  the  lake  to  the  Genesee  River, 
whence  he  visited  more  of  the  Iroquois  towns.  The 
English  were  apprised  of  his  scheme,  and  they  sent 
quantities  of  liquor  among  the  Indians  to  incite  them  to 
acts  of  hostility  against  the  French,  and  to  prevent  the 

1  Paris  Documents. 

2  The  cornerstone  of  this  chapel  was  found  some  years  ago,  and  now  occupies  an 
honorable  place  in  the  chief  building  of  the  city  of  Ogdensburg.  There  is  a  Latin  inscription 
on  the  stone  which  in  English  means,  "In  the  name  of  Almighty  God,  t  Francis  Piquet  be- 
gan this  edifice  in  1749." 


238 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


1" 


Iroquois  from  leaving  their  homes.  Many  of  the  Iroquois, 
however,  followed  the  Father  to  the  new  mission  on  the 
St.  Lawrence.  The  mission  began  with  about  thirty 
Iroquois,  but  in  two  years  the  number  increased  to  three 
thousand;  and  the  place  gave  indications  of  being  the 
most  prosperous  community  of  Christians  in  the  New 
World. 

Father  Piquet  obtained  from  the  Governor  a  strip  of 
land  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  upon  which  he  erected 
a  saw  mill  where  his  Indians  could  prepare  lumbjr  for 
the  markets;  and  he  also  taught  them  the  art  of  husbandry 
and  the  customs  of  civilized  life.  In  May,  1752,  a  notable 
event  occurred  at  the  Presentation.  The  Indian  neophytes 
had  manifested  such  an  excellent  spirit  and  had  learned 
the  teachings  of  Christianity  so  well  that  Bishop  Du- 
Breuil  de  Pontbriand,  of  Quebec,  resolved  to  visit  this 
portion  of  his  flock  and  administer  the  sacrament  of  Con- 
firmation. He,  accordingly,  came  in  May  with  many 
officers  and  priests,  and  administered  the  sacrament  for 
the  first  time  in  the  State  of  New  York.' 

The  English  viewed  with  alarm  the  ascendency  of 
French  influence  over  the  Indians  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  they  openly  urged  the  Iroquois  to  extinguish 
the  fires  of  the  new  settlement  at  Oswegatchie.  The 
officers  of  the  English  government  most  strenuously 
urged  the  chiefs  to  restrain  their  people  from  leaving  their 
homes  to  dwell  at  the  missions  of  the  French.  Many  of 
the  Iroquois  themselves  grieved  over  the  loss  of  so  many 
young  warriors  from  their  nation,  as  their  departure 
would  imperil  the  prestige  of  their  famous  league,  and 
would  eventually  involve  the  ruin  of  the;r  race.  Hen- 
drick,  the  great  Mohawk  chief  and  orator,  appealed  to 

I  Shea,  "The  Catholic  Church  in  Colonial  Days." 


A  CONGRESS  AT  ALBANY. 


239 


his  brethren  at  a  council  with  the  English,  in  September, 
1753,  to  keep  the  weeds  from  the  trails  between  Onon- 
daga and  the  English  forts.  He  also  reminded  then  of 
the  traditions  of  their  race,  which  foretold  the  fading  of 
their  glory  when  the  fires  went  out  at  Onondaga. 

A  call  was  issued,  early  in  1754,  to  the  different 
English  colonies  to  send  representatives  to  a  congress  at 
Albany  to  discuss  plans  for  union  among  themselves,  and 
to  adopt  means  of  defense  against  the  encroachments  of 
the  French,  and  the  hostilities  of  their  Indian  foes.  This 
congress  proclaimed  that  all  the  country  between  Lake 
Champlain,  Lake  Ontario,  and  Lake  Erie,  belonged  to 
the  Iroquois,  and  was,  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  placed 
under  the  protection  of  the  crown  of  Great  Britain.  The 
delegates  also  looked  upon  the  mission  of  the  Presenta- 
tion as  an  encroachment  upon  British  soil,  and  they  con- 
demned the  practise  of  leading  the  Iroquois  from  their 
own  homes  to  dwell  at  this  mission  of  the  French.  The 
Iroquois  were  shrewd  enough  to  penetrate  the  false  guise 
of  friendship,  under  which  the  French  and  English  diplo- 
mats addressed  them.  They  understood  that  each  of 
these  nations  was  seeking  to  deprive  them  of  their  lands, 
and  that  some  day  they  would  be  forced  by  those  powers 
to  abandon  their  country  and  the  homes  of  their  race. 
Oswegatchie  was  the  nearest  place  for  them  to  go  to 
learn  to  pray  and  to  have  their  children  baptized;  but  if 
the  English  insisted,  their  young  warriors  would  extin- 
guish the  fires  lit  by  the  French  on  the  banks  of  their 
pleasant  river. 

The  English  had  a  fort  and  a  trading  post  at  Oswego, 
and  the  struggle  for  a  monopoly  of  the  Indian  fur  trade 
led  to  many  conflicts  between  the  English  and  French ; 
and  in  this  strife  the  young  warriors  of  the  Presentation 


;  ■ 

I 


!»•, 

k: 


240 


THE  IROQ.UOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


(i|i 


l:i     f 


15 


made  frequent  raids  upon  the  British  traders  coming  up 
the  Mohawk  and  Black  Rivers  on  the  way  to  Oswego. 
Such  conflicts  could  only  lead  to  war,  and  each  nation 
was  merely  awaiting  a  favorable  opportunity  to  descend 
upon  the  strongholds  of  the  other.  The  French  had 
made  an  expedition  into  Ohio  to  reduce  the  Miamis  to 
subjection,  and  had  taken  possession  of  the  country  in 
the  name  of  their  king.  Oswego  had  fallen  before  a 
force  of  French  and  their  Indian  allies;  and  these  numer- 
ous hostile  acts  paved  the  way  for  a  fearful  clash  of  arms. 

In  the  war  of  1754  the  young  men  from  LaPresenta- 
tion  destroyed  many  of  the  forts  along  the  English  frontier, 
and  they  also  destroyed  the  English  fleet  on  Lake  On- 
tario, in  their  little  bark  canoes. 

Father  Piquet  took  an  active  part  in  the  wars  between 
England  and  France,  and  he  encouraged  his  young  war- 
riors to  fight  bravely  for  France  in  the  struggle  for  su- 
premacy between  these  two  powers.  He  was  very  use- 
ful to  DeQuesne,  the  French  commander,  on  account  of 
his  knowledge  of  the  country  and  his  influence  with  the 
Iroquois.  His  service  to  France  rendered  him  more  odious 
to  the  English,  who  only  awaited  a  favorable  opportunity 
to  destroy  his  mission. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1759  the  French  forts  along 
the  lakes  fell  by  the  prowess  of  English  arms;  and  in 
September  of  the  same  year  the  dominion  of  the  French 
in  Canada  was  overthrown  by  the  fall  of  Quebec. 

Father  Piquet  did  not  feel  secure  from  the  English  at 
LaPresentation,  so  he  abandoned  the  site  in  1759  and  re- 
tired with  his  Indian  flock  to  the  Grand  Isle  aux  Galope, 
where  he  built  a  chapel. 

General  Amherst,  the  commander  of  the  English 
forces,  would   have  rejoiced   to  secure  the  services  of 


««■■■ 


A  NEW  MISSION.  241 

yond  the  reach  nf  rwhok       >"""g  "len  till  he  was  be- 

Orleans  and  af.:  a  £  ZZ"''    "'  P^^"^"^"  '°  ^ew 
land     WifhnnV       f  r   °'°"™'  '■etu'-ned  to  his  native 

!ihT  t/esnS^V'         "'""'^^^''  -^^ 

then,  wen,  to  St  L'gTir^^d  ^ ThV "'vT'"^  °' 
Fatlier  Gordon    thev  fn.mwT'  guidance  of 

mission.  '^  '^""''"'  "  "^^  ^"d  prosperous 

I  DeQuesne  sa ys  of  him  •     "Ho  h^c         n 
ibie  success,  during  nearly  thirty  years!"  ''"^  ^  "''''"*  '■"'«'°"  ''"**  ^«  ^Ute,  with  incred- 


CHAPTHR  XXVI. 


THB  REDUCTIONS. 

HURON  SFTTLKMENT  AT  I.ORF.TTR  -  PRARIH  l)E  LA  MADEI.EINH- 
NEW  HOME  FOR  IROC^UOIS  CATHOLICS-FIRST  SETTLERS- 
CHAPEL  BUILT-SCHOOL  STARTED- VISIT  OF  BISMOP  LAVAL- 
CHANGES  OF  LOCATION-MODEL  CHRISTIAN  COMMUNITY- 
FAMOUS  PASTORS-BELL  FOR  THE  CHURCH-BELL  CAPTURED 
BY  BRITISH-INDIANS  LAMENT  THE  LOSS-TO  THE  RESCUE- 
RECAPTURED-REJOICING-THE  SAINTLY  MOHAWK-CAYUGA 
SETTLEMENT-SULPITIAN  MISSIONS-RECOLLECTS-ST.  REGIS 
COLONY-CHURCH  AND  SCHOOLS-MOHAWKS  FIGHT  WITH 
THE  BRITISH  IN  THE  REVOLUTION-ONEIDAS  FRIENDLY  TO 
AMERICANS-ONEIDAS  IN  THE  WEST-RECENT  CONVFRTS- 
LXPEDITION  AGAINST  ONONDAGAS-SULLIVAN'S  EXFEDITIQN- 
REMNANT  OF  THE  RACE. 

WHFN  Ihe  Iroquois  devaL;:ed  the  Huron  country  in 
1649  and  1650,  massacred  the  missioners,  and 
burned  the  chapels,  the  Fathers  who  escaped 
death  fled  with  many  of  the  faithful  Huron  Christians  to 
Quebec,  where  a  Catholic  Indian  colony  was  formed  at 
Lorctte  under  the  protection  of  the  French.  When  some 
of  the  Iroquois  became  Christians  and  found  that  they 
could  not  worship  God  in  peace  in  their  own  land,  but 
were  subj^'Ct  to  annoyance  and  persecution  from  their 
friends  and  relatives,  on  account  of  their  faith,  they  will- 
ingly embraced  the  opportunity  of  migrating  to  a  Catholic 
settlement,  and  dwelling  at  Lorette  among  their  lormer 
foes. '  • 

I  Shea,  "History  of  Catholic  Missions  among  the  Indians  of  the  Unitrd  States." 

»42 


A  HOME  FOR  CATHOLIC  IROQIJOIS. 


243 


There  was  a  beautiful  level  tract  of  land  opposite 
Montreal,  called  La  Prarie,  owned  by  the  Abbe  de  \ai 
Madeleine,  who  transferred  it  to  the  Jesuits  for  ecclesias- 
tical purposes.  Here  the  Jesuits  began  a  residence  in 
1669,  as  a  home  for  the  sick  or  aged  missionaries,  and  as 
a  place  of  retreat  for  the  members  of  the  order. '  Father 
Raffeix  was  here  at  this  time,  and,  knowing  from  experi- 
ence the  difficulties  the  Iroc]uois  converts  encountered  in 
their  own  land  in  the  practice  of  their  religion,  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  this  a  home  for  Catholic  Iro- 
quois. The  French  Governor  encouraged  the  project ;  as 
it  would  increase  his  fighting  force  in  war,  and  would 
withdraw  these  brave  warriors  from  the  influence  and 
dominion  of  the  English.  At  this  time  there  was  at 
Qyebec  a  pious  and  intelligent  Erie  convert,  Catherine 
Ganneaktena,  the  wife  of  an  Iroquois  chief,  and,  as  she 
had  been  the  hostess  of  Bruyas  at  Oneida,  she  was  well 
instructed  in  her  religion ;  so  the  Fathers  selected  her  as 
the  foundress  of  the  first  Iroquois  reduction,  which  was 
named  after  St.  Francis  Xavier. 

In  1670  about  twenty  families  had  settled  on  this  site, 
and  a  government  was  formed  according  to  the  customs 
of  the  Iroquois  nations.  According  to  the  first  laws 
established  in  the  mission  no  one  vould  become  a  member 
of  the  community  unless  he  renounced  three  things:  be- 
lief in  dreams,  changing  wives,  and  drunkenness;  and  any 
one  offending  against  any  of  these  laws  was  to  be  ex- 
pelled.' 

At  the  request  of  Governor  de  Courcelles,  Father 
Fremin  was  recalled  from  the  Seneca  country  to  take 
charge  of  this  new  church ;  and  he  left  shortly  after  for 

I  Th!«  property  is  stil!  owned  by  the  Jesuitx,  and  was  the  subject  of  recent  rictional 
diipute.  1  Shea,  p.  305. 


244 


THK  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


** 


France  to  obtain  assistance  for  his  new  Indian  community 
and  for  a  new  chapel.  The  early  settlers  were  principally 
Oneidas  and  Mohawks,  who  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
chiefs  of  their  respective  nations.  The  wife  of  Kryn,  the 
great  Mohawk  chief,  became  a  Christian  and  went  to 
dwell  at  the  new  mission  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  as  her  life 
was  not  safe  in  her  Mohawk  home;  and  Kryn,  part  in 
anger  and  part  in  sorrow,  wandered  away  through  the 
forest  until  he  came  to  the  new  community,  where  he 
was  so  charmed  with  the  peaceful,  happy  life  of  the  peo- 
ple that  he  begged  to  be  admitted  as  a  member  and  in- 
structed in  the  Christian  faith.  He  afterwards  returned 
to  the  Mohawk  country,  and  led  back  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
a  little  band  of  forty  faithful  Christians,  who  joyfully  em- 
braced the  opportunity  to  escape  from  the  Pagan  vices 
and  persecutions  of  their  race.  The  Oneida  chief,  hus- 
band of  Catherine  Ganneaktena,  also  brought  many  of 
his  countrymen  to  this  new  mission,  and  the  community 
increased  with  the  advent  of  members  from  many  difier- 
ent  tribes  and  nations.  They  built  a  little  chapel,  where 
all  heard  mass  every  morning  with  the  singing  of  hymns 
and  the  recital  of  prayers;  and  again  at  evening,  when 
the  day  was  drawing  to  its  close,  they  gathered  around 
the  altar  to  return  thanks  to  God  for  the  blessings  of  the 
day,  and  to  seek  His  protection  for  the  night.  On  Sun- 
days they  had  more  elaborate  ceremonies  in  the  services 
of  their  little  chapel,  and  the  solemn  music  of  the  high 
mass  was  sweetly  sung  by  a  choir  of  Indian  youths  and 
maidens.  A  school  was  started  for  the  boys;  but  the 
Indians  had  not  yet  learned  to  appreciate  the  advantages 
of  civilized  education  and  the  knowledge  of  books.  The 
fathers  wished  to  see  their  boys  learn  to  trap  the  beaver, 
to  hunt  the  bear  and  the  deer,  and  to  draw  the  finny 


BISHOP  I.AVAL  S  VISIT. 


246 


ces 

md 
the 
ges 
"he 
rer, 
my 


tribe  from  their  wntery  homes ;  as  it  was  by  these  arts 
that  they  provided  for  all  the  necessities  of  Indian  life. 
They  had  no  desire  to  adopt  the  business  laws  and  usages 
of  their  civilized  white  neighbors,  nor  to  imitate  their 
social  forms;  so  they  could  reap  no  benefit  from  the 
school,  as  hunting  and  fishing  were  sufficient  to  provide 
for  all  the  wants  of  their  humble  homes. 

Bishop  Laval  visited  the  mission  in  167^,  and  ad- 
ministered the  sacrament  of  confirmation  to  one  hundred 
well-instructed  Indians.  The  Indians  lined  the  bank  of 
the  river,  and  as  the  Bishop  landed  from  his  canoe  he 
was  received  with  a  formal  speech;  and  at  different 
stages  of  his  journey  to  the  chapel  he  was  obliged  to  halt, 
whilst  some  chief  delivered  an  address  of  welcome  in  the 
name  of  his  nation.  The  Bishop  remained  here  several 
days,  and  he  was  delighted  with  the  piety  and  fervor, 
and  the  thorough  Christian  spirit  manifested  by  these 
semi-civilized  children  of  the  forest.  The  locality  was 
not  healthful;  and  when  the  chiefs  saw  so  many  mem- 
bers of  their  little  flock  languishing  with  the  fever  they 
decided  to  select  a  new  habitation ;  so  they  removed  in 
1676  about  two  miles  furth:r  up  the  river  to  a  site  which 
the  Iroquois  called,  "Kateritsitkaiatal",  which  means  the 
place  where  Catherine  Tegakouita  was  buried.'  They 
moved  shortly  after  to  Sault  St.  Louis,  or  St.  Francis 
Xavier  Sault,  as  some  called  it,  and  which  was  known  to 
the  Indians  as  Caughnawaga,  or  the  ilapids.  Here  the 
little  bark  chapel  was  replaced  in  1678  by  a  stone  church 
sixty  feet  long;  which,  however,  was  poorly  constructed, 
as  it  was  demolished  in  1683  by  a  great  hurricane. 

They  moved  again,  about  1689,  a  little  nearer  to  the 

I  There  is  a  cross  there  to  mark  the  place  where  Catherine  was  accustomed  to  come  to 
pray.    Burtin. 


4111 


246  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

Rapids,  and  they  remained  here  about  twenty  years  when 
they  chose  the  site  of  their  present  location  opposite 
Lachine.  They  had  evidently  determined  to  establish  a 
permanent  home  at  Caughnawaga,  and  they  erected  one 
of  the  handsomest  church  buildings  in  Canada,  as  a  me- 
morial of  their  attachment  to  the  Faith.  Here  they  lived 
a  life  of  most  extraordinary  devotion.  "In  no  place  in 
the  New  World, "  says  Charlevoix,  *  'did  I  behold  such  piety 
as  in  the  Indian  Christian  community  at  the  Rapids." 
M.  St.  Valier,  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  1688,  says: 
"The  lives  of  all  are  very  extraordinary,  and  the  village 
would  be  taken  for  a  monastery.'"'  The  labors  of  many 
zealous  priests  contributed  to  the  fervor  and  the  piety 
displayed  in  this  mission.  Father  Chollenec  came  in  1675 
to  assist  Fat  r  Fremin,  and  he  left  to  posterity  an  account 
of  the  remai  x^able  virtues  of  Catherine  Tegakouita.  Father 
Bruyas  also  came  here  to  continue  his  labors  among  the 
Christians  he  had  instructed  in  their  own  country,  on  the 
Mohawk  or  at  Oneida.  Father  Gamier  and  Father  James 
de  Lamberville  knew  the  language  well,  and  when  they 
were  driven  from  their  missions  they  came  to  this  other 
little  Iroquois  nation,  where  they  were  joyfully  welcomed 
by  many  of  their  old  friends.  Father  Lafitau  labored  here 
for  some  years,  and  gathered  material  for  his  important 
work  on  the  customs  of  the  Huron-Iroquois  nations.  The 
last  Jesuit  to  labor  amongst  them  was  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Huguet,  who  was  there  as  their  pastor  when  the  order 
to  which  he  belonged,  and  which  had  effected  so  much 
good  among  the  Indians,  was  suppressed.* 

I  Charlevoix  Letters,  p.  343. 

3  Letter  of  Rev.  J.  V.  Burtin,  O.  M.  L,  Aprils,  1895,  Rev.  Joseph  Marcoux  spent 
thirty-five  years  amongst  them,  and  wrote  a  grammar  and  a  dictionary  of  their  langiiage. 
The  Rev.  J.  V.  Burtin,  O.  M.  L,  who  had  charge  of  the  mission  from  1864  to  189a,  is  now 
engaged  in  collecting  material  for  a  history  of  the  congregation. 


■3     ' 


THE  PURCHASE  OF  A  BELL. 


247 


X  spent 
nguage. 
,  know 


The  site  was  most  beautiful  and  picturesque,  and 
where  the  land  jutted  far  into  the  river  they  built  another 
church'  which  could  be  readily  seen  by  the  voyagers  on 
the  St.  Lawrence.  There  was  a  belfry  in  the  church,  and 
a  bell  in  those  times  was  much  needed  to  warn  the  peo- 
ple of  the  time  for  services  in  the  church  and  to  call  them 
to  morning  and  evening  prayer;  so  the  pastor  advised 
them  to  set  aside  some  of  their  valuable  furs  that  he  might 
purchase  a  bell  in  France.  The  simple-minded  Indians 
understood  that  a  church  bell  was  some  sweet  voiced 
spiritual  being,  whose  presence  was  necessary  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  parish,  and  its  office  was  to  warn  them  of  their 
duty,  and  to  invite  them  to  pray.  The  furs  were  soon 
ready,  and  the  bell  was  bought  and  shipped  from  Havre  in 
the  Grand  Monarque,  which,  however,  was  captured  by  a 
British  war  vessel,  and  was  sold  with  its  contents  at  one 
of  the  ports  of  Massachusetts.  The  inhabitants  of  Deer- 
field  bought  the  bell  for  their  little  church,  but  during  the 
war  the  Indians  of  Caughnawaga  raided  the  town,  cap- 
tured the  bell,  and  hung  it  up  in  their  own  little  church, 
where  it  still  tolls  the  tidings  of  joy  or  sounds  the  knell 

of  death. 

To  the  simple  Indian  mind  the  bell  was  a  myster- 
ious spiritual  monitor,  who  was  to  dwell  in  the  belfry, 
and  whose  duties  in  the  parish  were  only  second  in  im- 
portance to  those  of  the  priest.  They  felt  keenly,  there- 
fore, the  loss  of  the  intended  inhabitant  of  the  belfry. 
When  they  beheld  the  vacant  tower  they  bemoaned  the 
lot  of  the  bell,  and  they  longed  for  an  opportunity  to  res- 
cue it  from  captivity  and  place  it  in  its  home.  In  imagi- 
nation they  could  hear  its  voice,  sweeter  than  the  songs 
of  the  bobolink  or  the  blackbird,  more  thrilling  than  the 

I  The  church  was  built  in  1721  near  an  old  fort,  which  was  called  Fort  St.  Louis, 


Wli\ 


248 


THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


T-'T 


notes  of  the  tsiskoko'  ringing  out  over  the  waters  and  re- 
sounding through  the  forests  at  early  dawn  and  again  at 
evening  with  the  sweet  notes  of  the  Angelus.  They 
longed  to  hear  its  dulcet  tones  floating  through  the  air, 
adding  its  sweet  melody  to  the  harmony  of  Sunday  and 
calling  them  to  the  little  church  to  worship  the  Master  of 
Life. 

Councils  were  held  to  discuss  the  best  means  for 
rescuing  the  captive  bell,  and  prayers  were  offered  to  God 
for  guidance  in  this  important  affair.  The  solution  of  the 
problem  came  when  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  resolved 
to  send  an  expedition  against  the  British  colonies  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. They  did  not  need  to  be  urged  to  join  the 
expedition  against  the  town  of  Deerfield,  but  they  imme- 
diately raised  the  war-cry  and  prepared  for  the  fray.  The 
inclement  season  did  not  restrain  their  ardor,  for  they 
left  their  homes  in  the  depths  of  winter  to  join  the  army 
of  M.  de  Rouville,  at  Fort  Chambly. 

The  Indians  followed  silently  in  the  wake  of  the 
French  soldiers,  and  glided  noiselessly  on  their  snow 
shoes  through  the  frost-laden  forests  in  the  direction  of 
Lake  Champlain.  This  was  an  unusual  and  a  very  severe 
season  for  war,  yet  the  Indians  moved  rapidly  without  a 
murmur,  seemingly  indifferent  to  the  intense  cold  or  the 
deep  snow.  The  French  were  hardy  soldiers,  but  they 
did  not  manifest  the  endurance  or  cheerfulness  of  their 
Indian  friends.  Some  very  important  matter  must  surely 
have  given  them  this  determination,  and  led  them  from 
home  and  family  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

They  haa  only  the  furs  of  the  deer  and  bear  to  pro- 
tect them  from  snow  and  cold,  but  they  were  not  suffi- 
cient to  shield  them  from  the  storm  or  renew  the  strength 

I  The  thrush. 


BURIED  THE  BEIJ.  IN  THE  FOREST. 


249 


of  their  wearied  limbs  in  restful  repose.  The  holy  cause, 
however,  of  their  mission  supplied  warmth  to  their  limbs, 
and  gave  elasticity  to  their  step,  and  in  an  incredibly 
short  time  they  reached  the  little  village  of  Deerfield. 
Here  they  made  an  attack  on  the  town,  and  captured  the 
bell. 

The  Indians  would  not  seek  rest  until  they  had  paid 
their  respect  to  the  mysterious  bell;  so  a  soldier  was  sent 
to  ring  the  bell  to  comply  with  their  desire.  The  sweet 
sound  amid  the  scene  of  carnage,  and  in  the  stillness  of 
the  forest,  was  as  wonderful  to  the  simple  minds  of  the 
Indians,  as  was  the  voice  ol  the  angel  announcing  the 
birth  of  the  Saviour  to  the  shepherds  of  Judea. 

The  bell  was  taken  from  the  belfry  and,  placed  upon 
a  strong  pole,  was  borne  in  triumph  upon  the  shoulders 
of  four  Indians  through  the  forest  towards  their  distant 
home.  It  was  too  heavy  to  be  carried  conveniently  in 
this  manner,  so  they  buried  it  in  the  forest,  near  the 
banks  of  Lake  Champlain,  to  await  a  more  favorable  sea- 
son for  its  transportation. 

When  spring  returned,  and  the  ground  was  hard  and 
dry,  and  free  from  snow,  the  chief  organized  a  party  and 
selected  some  zealous  braves,  who,  with  the  assistance 
of  a  yoke  of  oxen,  would  bring  the  bell  from  its  tomb  in 
the  forest  to  its  new  home  in  the  belfry  of  their  little 
church. 

The  bell  was  carefully  bedecked  with  fragrant  wild 
flowers,  wreaths  and  garlands  were  placed  upon  the 
heads  of  the  oxen  and  upon  the  pole  from  which  their 
precious  treasure  hung;  and  they  proceeded  joyfully  on 
their  way  to  Caughnawaga. 

At  the  village  all  had  heard  of  the  wonderful  qualities 
of  the  bell — the  marvelous  sweetness  of  its  voice,  and 


i 


250 


TIIK  IROOi;olS  AND  THI- JKSUITS. 


J 

»^m. 

"■    ml 

the  power  ot  its  lone — and  all  anxiously  awaited  its  ad- 
vent as  they  would  for  the  arrival  of  some  great  chief. 

In  the  twilight  of  an  early  summer  evening,  whilst 
the  women  and  children  were  discussing  the  qualities  of 
the  sweet- voiced  dweller  of  the  belfry,  a  strange  and 
pleasing  sound  was  heard  faintly  floating  through  the 
forest.  Stronger  and  more  clear  the  sound  grew,  until 
they  knew  it  was  the  welcome  and  expected  guest. 
They  received  the  bell  with  great  rejoicing,  and  placed  it 
in  the  belfry  where  it  still  tolls  the  hours,  and  its  sweet 
sound  floats  over  the  waters  calling  the  Indians  to  prayer. 

In  1677  an  humble  maiden,  Catherine  Tegakouita, 
came  to  this  community  from  her  home  at  Gandaougue, 
on  the  Mohawk  River;  and,  although  of  simple  appear- 
ance, yet  she  was  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most 
famous  of  her  race,  and  she  showed  by  her  life  that  the 
Indian  was  capable  of  attaining  as  high  a  degree  of  per- 
fection as  the  greatest  saints  of  the  Church.  Her  tomb 
became  a  shrine  to  which  thousands  from  many  nations 
came  to  pray  for  the  intercession  of  the  holy  Mohawk 
virgin.  The  little  bark  chapel  was  the  home  in  which 
she  spent,  in  prayer,  all  the  hours  she  could  spare  from 
the  drudgery  of  an  Indian  woman's  life.  She  never 
married,  as  she  considered  the  state  of  virginity  more 
holy;  but  she  labored  like  other  Indian  women  of  her 
condition  for  the  support  of  the  family  of  her  relatives, 
with  whom  she  lived.  She  died  here  in  1680  in  the  odor 
of  sanctity,  and  her  tomb  immediately  became  a  shrine 
of  devotion  for  tiie  pilgrims  of  New  France.  She  may 
yet  be  enrolled  among  the  number  of  the  saints,  as  her 
canonization  has  been  solicited  from  the  Holy  See  by  the 
Fathers  of  the  third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore.' 

I  Shea,  p.  309. 


THE  NEW  MISSION. 


251 


The  Cayugas  were,  continually  at  war  with  the 
powerful  Andastes,  who  dwelt  southward  of  the  Iroquois 
region;  and  in  1665  some  of  them,  becoming  weary  of 
this  perpetual  strife,  decided  to  emigrate  to  a  more  secure 
region  where  they  would  not  be  molested  by  these 
troublesome  neighbors;  so  they  selected  a  site  on  Qyinte 
Bay  near  the  present  Kingston,  Canada.  When  they 
heard  about  the  chapel  that  was  erected  in  their  old 
home,  and  about  the  beautiful  truths  taught  by  the  "Black 
Gowns,"  they  sent  a  delegation  to  Montreal  to  ask  for 
priests  to  come  to  instruct  them.'  Bishop  Laval  invited 
the  Sulpitians  to  take  charge  of  this  new  mission;  and 
the  Rev.  Fathers  Fenelon^  and  Trouve  were  selected  to 
labor  in  this  new  colony.  They  reached  the  Bay  of 
Quinte  in  October,  1668,  and  began  the  same  routine  of 
labors  that  the  Jesuits  fulfilled  among  the  Iroquois. 

One  of  the  wealthy  members  of  the  "Society  of 
Montreal"  made  a  handsome  donation  of  money  to  build 
the  little  church,  anJ  the  Governor  granted  land  and  cer- 
tain commercial  privileges  to  the  new  community.  Al- 
though the  Indians  received  the  Fathers  joyfully  and 
listened  to  their  teaching  willingly,  yet  they  did  not  be- 
come Christians  in  large  numbers,  and  it  was  principally 
the  sick  or  the  dying  that  wers  admitted  to  the  sacra- 
ments of  the  Church. 

There  was  another  little  settlement   of  Iroquois  at 

I  Faillon,  p.  191  • 

3  There  has  been  considerable  discussion  in  regard  to  the  identity  of  this  Fenelon. 
Hennepin  incidentally  calls  him  "The  present  Archbishop  of  Cambray;'  and  many  have 
been  led  to  believe  that  the  f|;rcal  Fenelon  actually  labored  on  the  Canadian  mission,  be- 
cause Hennepin  was  good  authority  as  he  laboral  c)n  the  same  mission  himself,  at  a  subse- 
i|uent  period.  Ihe  Fenelon  referred  to  was  an  elder  brother  of  the  great  Archbishop,  who 
bbored  for  many  years  on  the  Canadian  mission.  Fenelon  the  Archbishop  and  author, 
was  only  seventeen  years  of  age  when  his  elder  brother  was  ordained,  and  although  he 
also  desired  to  labor  among  the  Indians  of  the  New  World,  yet  his  health  was  not  rugged 
enough  for  the  climate  and  life. 


m 


1 


fili 


(I 


I*    t       M 


262  THU  IROQJUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

Gandoseteragon,  near  the  present  site  of  Toronto,  and 
these  people  also  asked  Father  Fenelon  to  come  to  teach 
them  the  truths  of  Christianity;  so  he  visited  this  place, 
leaving  the  newly-arrived  missioner,  Father  Urse,  to  con- 
tinue his  labors  at  Quinte.  Fathers  de  Circe  and  Marriot, 
Sulpitians,  also  labored  for  a  time  in  these  missions  along 
the  northern  shore  of  the  lake:'  but  as  all  these  were 
temporary  towns,  established  probably  for  convenience  in 
hunting  or  fishing,  or  for  purposes  of  trade,  no  permanent 
good  could  be  effected  among  the  inhabitants;  so  the 
Fathers  induced  many  of  the  better  disposed  to  retire 
with  them,  in  1676,  to  the  Island  of  Montreal,  where  they 
started  a  new  Indian  Christian  community.  In  1701  this 
mission  was  removed  to  another  site,  [learthe  Sault  au 
Recollet.  In  1720  it  was  again  transferred  to  the  shores 
of  the  lake  of  Two  Mountains,  a  short  distance  from  the 
place  it  occupies  to-day.  In  1732  it  was  established  at 
its  present  location;  but  many  of  the  inhabitants  have 
emigrated  to  the  Muskoka  region,  and  the  remaining  few 
have  united  with  their  white  neighbors  in  the  French- 
Canadian  parish. 

Count  Frontenac,  Governor  of  New  France,  started 
a  large  fort  at  Quinte  Bay  in  1673,  and  he  invited  the  Iro- 
quois to  meet  him,  in  order  to  gain  their  confidence  and 
their  trade.  He  advised  them  to  become  Christians,  but 
at  the  same  time  he  allowed  his  traders  to  sell  them 
liquor  without  limit,  and  his  soldiers  to  scandalize  them 
by  their  bad  lives;  so  that  the  poor  Indians  were  demor- 
alized, and  were  not  disposed  to  believe  in  the  truths 
taught  by  the  missioners. 

La  Salle  went  to  France  in  1674,  bearing  some  very 

I  Greenhalgh  says  some  of  these  villages  were  thirty  miles  inland,  but  he  is  so  unre- 
liable in  regard  to  distance  that  a  person  does  not  feel  safe  in  accepting  his  statements. 


FORT  FRONTENAC. 


263 


highly  commendatory  letters  from  Governor  Frontenac  to 
the  French  court,  and  with  these,  and  through  influential 
friends  in  France,  he  obtained  from  the  King  a  grant  of 
the  unfinished  Fort  Frontenac  and  considerable  land  ad- 
joining, on  condition  that  he  would  reimburse  the  gov- 
ernment for  what  it  had  already  expended  on  the  fort, 
would  garrison  it  with  at  least  twenty  men  for  two  years, 
and  would  build  a  church  there  within  five  years. 

The  Recollets  or  Franciscans  were  the  earliest  mis- 
sioners  among  the  Iroquois-Huron  nations,  and  in  1669 
the  King  of  France  wrote  to  the  provincial  of  the  order, 
at  Paris,  to  request  him  to  send  some  members  of  the  order 
back  to  their  old  missions  among  the  Indians  of  Canada. 
Frontenac  was  not  favorable  to  the  Jesuits,  neither 
was  he  pleased  with  the  Sulpitians ;  so  when  the  Recollets 
came  to  Canada,  La  Salle,  to  please  his  master,  imme- 
diately secured  them  for  his  proposed  church  at  Quinte 
Bay,  and  for  the  neighboring  Indian  missions.  It  was 
here  that  Father  Hennepin,  with  the  other  Fathers  of  the 
same  order,  labored  zealously  for  two  years,  but  without 
much  success,  many  of  the  Iroquois  returning  to  their  old 
homes  near  Lake  Tiehero,  or  in  the  valley  of  the  Genesee, 
and  others  going  to  the  Iroquois  settlements  near  Mon- 
treal; so  when  La  Salle  started  on  his  famous  expedition 
to  the  West  the  mission  was  practically  abandoned. 

Proximity  to  the  French  towns,  and  especially  to  the 
military  and  trading  posts,  was  not  conducive  to  the 
moral  welfare  of  the  Indians;  so  in  1760  the  Rev.  An. 
thony  Gordon  led  a  colony  of  Catholic  Indians  from 
Caughnawaga  up  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  a  beautiful 
site  at  the  northeast  extremity  of  the  present  State  of  New 
York,  where  a  new  village  was  started  and  named  in 
honor  of  St.  Regis.  • 


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H 


254 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


Here,  on  the  banks  of  the  two  rivers,  they  built  their 
little  log  chapel,  with  a  partition  at  one  end  for  the  home 
of  the  priest;  and  here  they  erected  their  own  cabins,  and 
they  gave  the  name  Akwisasane'  to  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  spots  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River. 

The  little  log  chapel  was  burned  some  two  years 
after  its  erection  and  the  first  records  of  the  church  were 
destroyed,  but  since  that  time  they  have  been  preserved 
with  scrupulous  fidelity,  showing  a  long  list  of  souls  of 
this  faithful  flock. 

An  Indian  legend  assigns  a  different  origin  to  St. 
Regis.  It  relates  the  capture  of  two  white  children  in  the 
town  of  Groton,  Mass.,  shortly  after  the  settlement  of 
Caughnawaga,  who  were  carried  off  by  the  Indians,  and 
grew  to  manhood  with  all  the  customs  and  habits  of 
Indian  life.  They  took  Indian  girls  for  wives,  and  became 
prominent  in  the  councils  of  their  adopted  nations,  but  as 
their  minds  were  not  thoroughly  Indian,  differences  of 
opinion  arose  in  the  tribe,  which  finally  compelled  them 
to  emigrate  with  their  families  to  some  distant  location. 
They  selected  the  site  on  the  St.  Lawrence  which  was 
afterwards  christened  St.  Regis. 

The  locality  was  most  beautiful  and  picturesque ;  and 
the  contented  settlers  soon  built  another  church,  with  a 
little  cupola  and  a  place  for  a  bell. 

Father  Gordon's  health  failed  in  1775,  and  he  went 
back  to  Caughnawaga,  where  he  died  two  years  later. 
The  little  mission  was  then  deprived  of  a  resident  priest 
for  some  years,,  although  priests  came  occasionally  from 
other  places  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  peo- 
ple. The  Rev.  Roderick  McDonnell  came  in  1785,  and 
built  the  present  stone  church,  with  its  gallery  for 
strangers  and  its  beautifully  decorated  altar, 

I  llie  place  where  the  {wrtridge  drums.    Hough. 


ST.   REGIS  INDIANS. 


255 


The  Indians  present  an  inspiring  sight  as,  squatted 
on  the  floor,  they  follow  in  respectful  silence  the  priest 
in  the  different  parts  of  the  mass,  or  listen  reverentially  to 
the  explanation  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Mohawk  tongue. 
Father  McDonnell  died  in  1806,  and  was  buried  under 
the  choir  where  the  Indian  singers  often  chant  the  re- 
quienns  for  their  departed  benefactors  and  friends.  The 
little  Indian  church  has  had  its  regular  resident  priest 
ever  since;  and  for  many  years  it  has  had  its  school, 
where  the  children  are  taught  to  read  and  write,  and 
wheie  they  learn  the  rudiments  of  English  and  the  prin- 
ciples of  their  religion.  The  Catholic  Indian  population' 
of  St.  Regis  numbers  1,128  souls,  and  there  are  vbur 
i'chools  for  the  children  and  youth;  but  these  are  not 
always  well  attended  as  the  Indians  have  not  even  yet 
learned  to  appreciate  the  benefits  derived  from  education. 

Three,  and  sometimes  four  priests  were  kept  busy 
attending  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  faithful  Iroquois  at 
Caughnawaga.  They  held  conferences  everyday;  and 
the  Indians  were  well  instructed  in  their  religious  duties. 
One  of  their  own  race,  Joseph  Rontagonka,  instructed 
them  in  music,  and  Catholic  hymns  were  translated  into 
the  Iroquois  tongue,  and  were  sung  in  the  church  during 
the  celebration  of  mass.  They  abandoned  all  the  Pagan 
rites  and  festivals,  and  to-day  they  only  celebrate  the 
planting  and  the  harvest  feasts. 

During  the  Revolution  many  of  them  took  up  arms 
under  Atiatonharonkwen^  and  fought  alongside  their  old 
friends,  the  French,  for  the  independence  of  the  infant 
colonies. 

1  Canadian  Report  Indian  Affairs,  1893.  '  '\ 

2  Atiatonharonlcwen,  better  Icnown  as  Col.  Louis,  received  his  commission  from  Gen. 
Washington,  and  with  the  Indians  from  Caughnawaga,  St.  Regb,  and  Oneida,  did  gallant 
worlc  during  the  war.    He  was  educated  by  one  of  the  Jesuits  from  Caughnawaga. 


7 


266 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


I. 


^f^ 

They  have  now  generally  adopted  the  peaceful  pur- 
suits of  their  white  neighbors,  and  they  till  the  soil  and 
engage  in  light  traffic,  whilst  their  children  attend  the 
Catholic  schools,  where  they  receive  an  education  and 
are  instructed  in  their  religion. 

The  Mohawks  remained  along  the  banks  of  the  river 
which  still  bears  their  name  until  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. The  white  settlers  had  been  gradually  encroaching 
upon  their  domain ;  yet  the  Mohawks  reserved  valuable 
lands'  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  they  might  still 
be  dwelling  near  their  ancient  site  had  they  not  fought 
with  the  British  against  the  Colonies  in  the  war  for  inde- 
pendence. In  1 77 1  they  had  three  villages  in  the  valley: 
one  at  Schoharie,  one  at  Fort  Hunter,  and  one  at  Canajo- 
harie;  and  they  continued  to  reside  here  until  British 
agents  induced  them  to  take  the  war  path  against  the 
Colonies,  and  large  numbers  left  their  homes  never  more 
to  return. 

The  Iroquois  had  borne  the  brunt  of  many  battles  in 
the  preceding  war  with  the  French,  and  when  the  Colo- 
nies resolved  to  cast  off  the  yoke  of  Great  Britain  the 
leaders  on  either  side  sought  alliance  with  the  fierce  war- 
riors of  the  league.  The  Americans  endeavored  to  secure 
the  neutrality  of  the  Iroquois ;  but  with  war  all  around 
them,  and  with  so  many  inducements  to  lead  them  into 
the  fight,  they  could  not  long  remain  at  peace.  They 
had  agreed  to  remain  neutral;  but  the  Johnsons'  had 
wonderful  influence  over  the  Mohawks,  and  British 
agents  offered  arms,  provisions,  clothing,  and  money,  to 
secure  the  aid  of  these  formidable  fighters.     The  Ameri- 

1  By  the  treaty  of  1678  the  Mohawks  retained  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 

2  These  were  Col.  Guy,  and  Sir  John  Johnson,  whose  father,  Sir  William  Johnson, 
died  just  before  the  Revolution.  The  Johnsons  had  many  large  possessions  at  Johnstown 
N.  Y.,  where  Sir  William  lived  in  barbaric  splendor  with  Brant's  sister. 


THEIR  LOVE  FOR  THE  BLACK  ROBES. 


257 


son, 
wn 


cans  were  too  poor  to  pay  their  own  soldiers,  and  they 
could  not,  like  the  British,  offer  great  inducements  to  the 
Indians  to  aid  their  cause;  so  the  Iroquois  were  gradually 
drawn  into  the  fray,  and  they  cast  their  lot  with  what 
they  believed  to  be  the  stronger  power.  There  was  no 
unanimity,  however,  at  the  councils  of  the  Five  Nations 
on  the  subject  of  the  war;  so  each  nation  was  free  to  fol- 
low its  own  counsels,  and  whilst  the  ot.iers  fought  with 
the  British  the  Oneidas  either  remained  neutral  or  proffered 
their  services  to  the  Americans  as  scouts  or  guides. 

The  Mohawks,  under  Brant,  followed  Johnson  to 
Oswego ;  they  spread  desolation  and  ruin  through  many 
settlements,  and  when  the  Americans  triumphed  they 
sought  an  asylum  in  Canada  under  the  aegis  of  the 
British  flag. 

The  Oneidas  long  retained  their  love  for  the  Bbck 
Robes  and  their  teachings;  and  at  various  times  after  the 
close  of  the  missions  Jesuits  surreptitiously  dwelt  among 
them.  In  1771  they  had  two  villages,  and  about  600 
souls;  and  many  of  these  were  Christians,  "Being  in- 
structed partly  by  French  Jesuits."' 

The  advancing  tide  of  immigration  w??s  gradually 
forcing  the  remaining  Iroquois  farther  westward;  and  in 
1815  the  United  States  Government  gave  the  Oneidas  a 
large  tract  of  land  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  in  exchange 
for  part  of  their  lands  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Many 
Oneidas  soon  after  removed  to  their  western  home,  but 
some  few  still  remained  near  the  ancient  rock  until  the 
last  vestige  of  the  nation  disappeared  from  the  state,  and 
the  reservation  was  closed.^ 

The  Oneidas  still  flourish  at  Green  Bay ;  and  of  late 
years  many  have  manifested  a  desire  to  embrace  Chris- 

I  "Memorial"  of  Rev.  C.  Inglis  in  1771.       2  It  was  closed  in  1890. 


I  'H 


258 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


i    '        ..Ml 


X 

'  i, 
i 


tianity  as  it  was  taught  to  their  forefathers  by  the  Jesuits 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ago.  The  first  convert, 
Stephan  Cornelius,  was  baptized  there  in  1884,  by  Father 
Lou  at  Greenville.  Five  years  later  some  children  were 
baptized  by  the  Franciscan  Fathers  at  Keshena, '  and  the 
next  year  several  adults  were  received  into  the  Church  by 
Bishop  Katzer.  The  rapidly  increasing  number  of  con- 
verts suggested  ttte  necessity  of  a  church  for  the  Catholic 
Oneidas,  where  they  might  assemble  on  Sundays  to  hear 
mass  and  listen  to  the  word  of  God.  Mr.  £li  Skenendoah 
donatec*  a  parcel  of  land,  and  many  white  friends  con- 
tributed towards  the  erection  of  a  pretty  little  brick 
veneered  church,  which  was  dedicated,  in  1891,  to  the 
service  of  God.*  The  Rev.  J.  A.  Selbach  looks  after  the 
spiritual  interests  of  this  little  flock,  and  he  has  hopes  of 
seeing  a  great  number  of  the  Oneidas  enter  the  Church  to 
follow  the  light  first  brought  to  their  old  homes  by  the 
ancient  Black  Robes. 

The  Onondagas  dwelt  at  different  places  around  the 
valley  which  bears  their  name  until  the  Revolution,  when 
they  were  driven  from  their  homes  by  a  detachment  of 
American  soldiers,  who  were  sent  in  1779  to  punish 
them  for  the  part  they  had  taken  in  attacks  upon  several 
defenceless  settlements.  The  Onondagas  fled  westward, 
and  settled  down  on  the  banks  of  Buffalo  Creek,  where 
they  were  soon  joined  by  their  brothers  from  the  Seneca 
and  Cayuga  nations.  Some  united  with  the  Senecas; 
others  later  returned  to  the  site  of  their  ancient  town,  and 
there  they  still  dwell  amid  the  scenes  of  their  departed 
glory.  They  have  clung  to  their  old  customs  and  Pagan 
belief,  and  have  only  adopted  some  of  the  dress  and 
some  of  the  vices  of  civilization. 

I  There  is  a  fine  Indian  industrial  school  at  Keshena  under  the  management  of  the 
Franciscans.         2  Letter  of  J.  A.  Selbach,  March  18,  1895. 


SULLIVAN  S  EXPEDITION. 


269 


The  Cayugas  had  three  villages  a  short  distance 
from  the  eastern  shore  of  their  lake  until  General  Sullivan 
routed  them  from  their  homes.  The  Iroquois  had  visited 
some  of  the  settlements  with  all  the  horrors  of  Indian 
warfare;  and  as  soon  as  the  American  army  got  a  respite 
from  the  struggle  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  to  punish 
thern.  General  Sullivan,  with  a  large  force,  approached 
the  Cayuga  territory,  from  the  south,  in  the  summer  of 
1779,  burned  their  homes,  devastated  their  fields,  and 
forced  the  nation  to  fly  westward  to  seek  a  new  home. 
Some  fled  to  Canada,  like  the  Mohawks,  others  joined 
their  brethren  at  Buffalo  Creek,  and  they  gradually  lost 
their  identity  and  were  absorbed  by  the  more  numerous 
and  more  powerful  Senecas. 

After  routing  the  Cayugas  General  SuUivan  advanced 
on  the  towns  of  the  Senecas.  There  was  a  village  at 
Geneva,  and  one  at  Canandaigua;'  there  was  a  very  large 
town  at  Cuylerville,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river;  there 
was  another  large  town  on  the  Genesee  opposite  Avon ; 
and  there  were  some  smaller  hamlets  scattered  through 
the  valley.  All  these  towns  were  destroyed  by  the 
American  soldiers,  and  their  inhabitants  fled  westward  to 
join  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas  at  Buffalo  Creek ;  and 
here  they  dwelt  for  many  years  until  the  advancing  tide 
of  irnmigration  forced  them  to  seek  new  homes  at  Cold 
Springs,  Pa.,  at  Tonawanda,  on  the  Cattaraugus,  or  the 
Allegany  reservations. 

The  Iroquois^  in  New  York  are  still  governed  by 
their  traditional  laws;  they  still  raise  up  their  chiefs;  they 
have  their  dances  and  their  festivals  as  of  yore;  and  they 

1  This  was  also  the  name  of  the  Indian  village. 

2  The  Tuscaroras  came  from  North  Carolina  in  1712,  and  were  admitted  as  the  sixth 
nation  of  the  league.  They  settled  near  the  Oneidas,  and  afterwards  removed  to  the  reser- 
vation near  Lewiston. 


'    .I''' 


14-     t 


it   .- ' 

M 

f  ] 
U 

260  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

Still  cling  to  Pagan  practices  that  were  condemned  by 
the  Jesuits  two  hundred  years  ago.'  They  are  to-day  but 
a  picturesque  remnant  of  departed  glory,  and  but  a 
memory  of  the  most  powerful  confederacy  that  ever  ex- 
isted among  the  North  American  Indians. 

I  Protestantism  did  not  make  much  impression  on  them.     In  1845  out  of  a  total  popu- 
lation of  3,760  but  350  were  reported  as  Christians.     Schoolcraft. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THB  MISSIONBRS. 

™'  ™frrTi"''"""'''-'°'°"^   ORDERS-MISSIONARY  LIFE- 
TRAVEL  TO  THE  MISSION   FIELDS-LIFE  ON  THF  iNnilu  ^^ 

?Hn«Lr  ""^  ™^  '''"  °'  '^H'^-'-S-VIRT^EroF 

CHRIST  commissioned  the  Apostles  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature,  and  in  obedience  to  this 

m«  the  XT?  fn?  "f  ^^  '"''''  ^'^^"^^  '-''^-  """1 
mg  the  light  of  faith  to  the  nations  "sitting  in  the  dark 

haTsem'foth'h"  °'  ?"'"•"    '"  ^^^^y  ^«'   "■'^  Ch"th 
has  sent  forth  her  zealous  and  learned  sons  into  foreign 

uncivilized  lands,  to  proclaim  the  law  of  God  and  toT 

nounce  the  good  tidings  of  Redemption  to  men  of  ever^ 

age  and  clime.    Whole  nations  have  been  converted  bv 

armies  of  Apostles  have  been  slain  before  Christianitv 
could  obtain  a  foothold  in  some  lands,  yet  there  were  a, 

o"X  fa  :n  h'""'  °'?**  ''''  '-'•y  t"  take  t^e"  ace 
crown  •        '°  '"''^  their  blood  for  a  ma^yr's 

St.  Paul  says:    "Faith  then  cometh  by  heaiing-   and 
eanng  by  the  word  of  Christ.-  and  it  was  the  thought 
suggested  by  these  words  that  inspired  many  hland 


ii 


t  Epistle  to  the  Romans.    Chap,  xv.;  ,7, 


*6i 


■f  I 


I,  t 


262  THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

learned  men  to  leave  home  and  friends  to  bring  the  faith 
of  Christ  to  foreign  lands.  Many  of  the  religious  orders 
were  established  for  the  special  purpose  of  supplying 
laborers  for  the  mission  fields  of  the  world.  These  men  be- 
lieved that  it  would  profit  them  nothing  to  gain  the  whole 
world  if  they  lost  their  own  soul,  and  the  souls  of  sav- 
ages were  nearly  as  dear  to  them  as  their  own,  because, 
with  divine  charity,  they  loved  their  neighbor  as  them- 
selves. The  centre  of  learning  in  the  Middle  Ages  was 
the  monasteries,  and  from  these  institutions  went  forth 
the  missionaries,  as  the  heralds  of  civilization  to  barbarous 
shores. 

Christ  told  the  Apostles  they  would  be  persecuted 
even  unto  death  by  the  world,  and  St.  Paul  appeals  to 
his  own  sufferings  as  a  proof  of  his  sublime  apostolate. 
The  religious  orders  could  appeal  to  the  long  list  of  their 
martyred  sons  as  an  evidence  that  they  were  doing  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  The  path  of  the  missionary,  in  nearly 
every  country,  is  a  path  of  blood,  and  the  history  of  the 
Church  in  *hese  lands  is  a  martyrology.  The  missions 
among  the  Worth  American  Indians  supplied  their  full 
share  of  danger,  and  contained  an  unusual  amount  of  suf- 
fering and  privation.  "That  gloomy  wilderness,"  says 
Parkman,  "those  hordes  of  savages,  had  nothing  to 
tempt  the  ambitious,  the  proud,  the  grasping  or  the  in- 
dolent. Obscure  toil,  solitude,  privation,  hardships,  and 
death  were  the  missionary's  portion."'  Far  away  from 
home  and  friends  and  from  all  civilized  society,  the  life 
of  the  Indian  missioner  was  indeed  a  life  of  solitude;  and 
with  nothing  for  food  but  the  parched  Indian  corn  or  the 
tasteless  sagamite,  with  a  smoky,  comfortless  hut  for  a 
dwelling,  it  was  a  life  of  hardship  and  privation.     Many 

I  The  Jesuits  in  North  America. 


TRAVEL  TO  THE  MISSION  FIELDS. 


263 


of  these  missioners  were  men  of  a  delicate  and  sensitive 
nature,  who  had  been  well  educated,  and  who  might 
have  enjoyed  the  ease  and  luxury  of  a  comfortable  fortune 
in  France;  but  they  prefjrred  to  labor  for  their  brethren  in 
the  service  of  their  Master.  Many  people  wonder  what 
enabled  the  noble  Christian  youth  and  the  tender  virgin 
to  joyfully  meet  the  martyr's  fate  under  the  Roman  per- 
secutors, because  they  could  not  understand  the  power 
and  efficacy  of  grace.  They  called  it  a  triumph  of  mind 
over  matter,  but  it  was  a  triumph  of  grace  over  nature. 

The  journey  to  the  missions  from  Quebec  consumed 
twenty  or  twenty-five  days  of  incessant  toil;  in  paddling 
the  canoes  against  the  current,  dragging  them  over  the 
shallow  rapids,  or  carrying  them  on  their  shoulders  over 
the  portages.  The  bed  of  the  missioners  during  this  time 
was  some  protecting  tree  or  sheltering  rock,  or  in  the  in- 
verted crnoes  to  shield  them  from  the  rain.  Their  provis- 
ions were  scant,  because  their  baggage  must  be  light.  They 
suffered  from  heat  during  the  day  and  from  mosquitoes 
at  night.  They  must  sit  in  a  rigid  and  immovable  position, 
because  the  canoe  is  narrow  and  the  least  awkward  mo- 
tion would  upset  it.  Each  missioner  had  a  donnd,  to  as- 
sist in  his  labors,  who  was  usually  a  student,  or  a  young 
man  seeking  admission  to  the  order,  and  this  was  the 
only  civilized  society  to  be  found  in  the  wilderness. 
They  were  obliged  to  live  like  the  Indians,  because  this 
was  the  only  manner  of  life  their  means  and  condition 
would  afford.  They  dwelt  in  the  same  kind  of  dingy, 
smoky  hut,  they  partook  of  the  same  insipid  food,  and 
they  were  sometimes  half  naked  because  their  clothing 
had  been  worn  to  shreds.  They  arose  at  five  o'clock  and 
gave  two  hours  to  meditation,  holy  mass  and  to  prayer; 
then  at  eight  o'clock  they  opened  their  doors  and  began 


t  ■• 


264 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


the  day's  labor  among  the  Indians  with  instructions  for  all 
who  would  come.  Then  they  went  through  the  town  to 
visit  the  sick,  and  they  often  met  with  insults  and  rebuffs; 
for  these  people  thoight  they  were  magicians  who  wished 
to  put  them  to  death  by  some  subtle  science  and  send 
their  souls  captive  to  the  heaven  of  the  French.  They 
gave  another  instruction  in  the  afternoon  to  the  children, 
and  they  managed  to  give  some  well-cooked  soup  or 
some  plaything  to  their  pupils  to  induce  them  to  come 
again.  They  closed  their  doors  at  dusk,  and  spent  the 
evening  in  reading  their  breviaries  by  the  faint  flicker  of 
light  from  a  pine  knot,  or  the  fitful  glare  of  a  hemlock  log, 
in  preparing  a  dictionary  of  the  Iroquois  language,  or  in 
translating  their  instructions  into  the  Indian  tongue  for 
the  next  day's  lesson. 

Often  one  missioner  had  charge  of  several  towns,  and 
then  his  life  was  a  continual  journey  along  the  Indian  trails 
to  visit  the  converts,  the  catechumens,  and  the  sick,  so 
that  no  one  would  be  deprived  of  instruction  and  the 
sacraments  of  the  Church.  This  life  of  hardship  and  pri- 
vation might  terminate  at  any  time  in  a  martyr's  death, 
accompanied  by  all  the  horrors  of  Indian  torture. 

Divine  love,  love  of  God  and  love  of  our  neighbor, 
could  alone  have  led  these  men  from  their  pleasant  homes 
in  France  into  this  life  in  the  wilderness  to  labor  for  the 
salvation  of  these  benighted  human  beings. 

They  not  only  labored  for  the  enlightenment  and  sal- 
vation of  the  Indians,  but  they  conferred  benefits  upon  the 
humar  ^ace  by  their  important  contributions  to  the  know- 
ledge c  the  history  and  geography  of  the  world.  They 
were  the  first'  white  men  to  enter  many  of  the  lakes  and 

I  They  Averf  the  first  white  men  to  visit  Western  New  York,  and  the  first  to  traverse 
many  of  its  pleasant  rivers  and  lakes.  Brebeuf  and  Chaumonot  were  the  first  Europeans  to 
visit  Lake  Erie  and  the  River  Niagara.  Father  LaMoyne  was  the  first  to  travel  along  the 
borders  of  Lake  Onondaga,  and  to  discover  the  salt  wells.  Fathers  Chaumonot  and  Dah- 
Ion  were  the  first  to  behold  Lake  Tiehero  (Cayuga)  and  the  pleasant  valley  of  the  Genesee, 


HISTORIANS  OF  THE  NEW  WORLD. 


265 


les 
the 


il- 
Ihe 


Irse 

Ito 
Ihe 


rivers  and  distant  lands  of  tiie  New  World.  Whilst  wait- 
ing at  Qyebec  the  call  of  their  Divine  Master,  inviting  them 
to  some  new  field  of  labor,  they  would  join  some  roving 
or  trading  band  of  Indians  and  accompany  them  to  their 
far-distant  homes.  They  were  well  versed  in  astronomy 
and  mathematics;  and  t!iey  made  maps  of  their  journeys 
and  described  the  locations  and  characteristics  of  their 
discoveries  for  the  benefit  of  science,  or  for  the  guidance 
of  the  explorers  who  would  follow  in  their  footsteps. 
The  names  of  some  places,  lakes  and  rivers,  still  remind 
us  of  the  faith  of  the  missionary  discoverers,  although 
their  own  individuality  was  concealed  under  the  name 
of  some  saint. 

As  the  news  of  new  discoveries  and  of  the  wonders 
and  beauties  of  the  New  World  and  its  strange  people 
reached  the  populous  places  of  Europe,  it  created  intense 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  New  France.  There  were  very 
few  people  well  educated  in  those  days,  and  the  mission- 
ers,  as  the  most  learned,  naturally  became  the  historians 
of  the  New  World.  The  Jesuits  began  in  1635  to  pub- 
lish at  Paris  little  pamphlets  called  "Relations,""  which 
contained  a  description  of  the  country,  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  Indians,  and  accounts  of  their  own 
labors  on  the  mission.  The  "Relations"  afterwards  be- 
came famous  as  th?  source  of  much  valuable  information 
concerning  the  people  and  events  of  the  time  in  which 
they  were  written.  They  are  the  most  valuable  of  all 
works  on  Indian  life  and  customs,  because  they  were 
written  by  men  who  lived  among  the  natives;  who  un- 
derstood their  language,  and  who  knew  their  traditions. 

I  The  late  Dr.  Hawley,  of  Auburn,  translated,  in  a  very  faithful  and  creditable  man- 
ner, so  much  of  the  "  Relations"  as  pertained  to  the  missions  among  the  Senecasand  the 
Cayugas.  He  also  translated  the  accounts  of  missionary  labors  among  the  Mohawks,  but 
this  part  was  not  published  in  book  form,  and  the  edition  of  "  Seneca  History  "  was  limited 
to  250  copies. 


266  THE  IROaUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 

They  knew  the  Indians,  moreover,  before  the  latter  had 
learned  the  habits  of  civilized  men,  and,  consequently, 
before  their  lives  and  customs  had  been  changed  by  asso- 
ciation with  Europeans.  Later  historians  are  obliged  to 
get  their  information  from  the  writings  of  the  early  mis- 
sioners,  or  have  recourse  to  second-hand  and  unreliable 
authority.  Even  the  Indians  of  the  present,  or  the  past, 
generation  are  not  such  good  authority  regarding  the  his- 
tory of  their  race  as  are  the  writings  of  the  early  mission- 
ers;  because  their  history  is  merely  oral,  and  must  neces- 
sarily become  hazy  with  the  lapse  of  years,  and  truths 
that  are  transmitted  by  mere  oral  tradition  will  easily 
fade  into  fantastic  myths. 

The  Fathers'  recorded  the  important  civil  and  politi- 
cal events  of  the  times,  as  well  as  the  religious  history  of 
their  missions;  and  these  works  form  the  pioneer  history 
of  the  New  World.  Father  Jogues  was  the  first  to  de- 
scribe Lake  George,  which  he  named  Lake  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  and  the  route  to  the  Mohawk  country.  Father 
Le  Moyne  discovered  the  salt  wells  of  Syracuse,  Onon- 
daga Lake,  the  Oswego  River,  and  a  great  portion  of 
Central  New  York.  Father  Mesnard  was  the  first  to  de- 
scribe the  beauties  of  the  land  of  the  Cayugas,  and  the 
charming  lakes  along  whose  shores  these  people  dwelt. 
Father  Chaamonot  was  the  first  white  man  ti  visit  the 
homes  of  the  Seneca  nation,  and  to  tell  the  Wv>rld  of  the 
pleasant  valley  of  the  Genesee.  Father  Hennepin  was 
the  first  to  describe  the  marvelous  beauty  and  power  of 
the  famed  Falls  of  Niagara,  that  have  since  become  the 
wonder  of  the  world.  The  names  of  these  modest  mis- 
sioners  should  have  been  associated  with  some  of  the 
lakes  or  rivers  they  discovered,  or  were  the  first  to  de- 

I  Jogues,  Le  Moyne,  Carheil,  Raffeix,  Chaumonot. 


.-^ 


"•* 


MARTYRDOM  FOR  FAITH. 


267 


scribe,  but  these  men  preferred  to  be  dead  to  the  world 
to  live  to  Christ. 

Death  for  their  Divine  Master,  or  martyrdom,  was 
the  highest  reward  to  which  the  humble  missioner  as- 
pired as  a  compensation  for  his  sacrifices  and  labors. 

"Greater  love  than  this,  no  man  hath,  that  a  man 
should  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends."'  Christ  mani- 
fested his  great  love  for  mankind  by  dying  on  the  cross 
to  redeem  and  save  men.  What  greater  evidence,  there- 
fore, of  love  for  God  and  man  could  any  man  give  than 
to  leave  all  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  life  to  labor 
among  savage  hordes,  where  a  violent  death  would  be 
most  certain  to  terminate  his  career?  Man's  chief  aim  in 
life  is  to  save  his  soul,  and  in  what  surer  way  can  this  be 
effected  than  by  martyrdom  for  faith  in  the  service  of  God? 
The  greatest  of  all  work  is  to  cooperate  with  Cod  for  the 
salvation  of  souls.*  Thus  reasoned  the  missioner,  and 
guided  by  these  principles  he  left  home  and  kindred,  the 
association  of  educated  and  refined  society,  and  the  com- 
forts of  civilization,  to  bear  the  light  of  Faith  to  the  nations 
sitting  in  the  darkness  of  ignorance  and  the  shadow  of 
spiritual  death.  He  penetrated  vast  forests,  where  the 
foot  of  white  man  had  never  before  trod,  and  labored 
among  people  whose  habits  and  customs  were  revolting 
to  refined  taste.  Their  food  was  insipid;  their  bed  was 
the  bare  ground;  their  clothing  was  poor;  their  society 
was  among  savages,  and  they  were  in  constant  danger  of 
death ;  so  their  only  consolation  lay  in  a  sense  of  duty 
fulfilled  for  the  benefit  of  men  through  the  love  of  God. 

To  men  who  could  not  appreciate  their  motives  the 
sacrifices  of  the  missionaries  seemed  fanaticism,  and  their 
holy  exaltation  a  species  of  spiritual  frenzy.?  Their  devo- 

i  St.  John,  xni;  34.        2  St.  Gregory.        5  Parkman. 


268 


THE  IROQUOIS  AND  THE  JESUITS. 


H  '     ,(<'■       ,, 


'} 


1? 


tion  to  their  work,  their  holy  lives,  and  their  constant 
prayers  brought  them  closer  to  God ;  and  as  they  asked 
every  morning  for  His  grace  and  blessing,  and  returned 
Him  thanks  in  their  evening  prayer,  they  felt  that  they 
were  more  immediately  under  the  guidance  of  His  care. 

Father  Jogues,  frequently  praying  in  the  little  chapel 
of  St.  Mary,  among  the  Hurons,  for  a  martyr's  death 
could  hear  the  voice  of  the  Saviour,  "Son,  thy  prayer  is 
heard,  thou  shalt  have  what  thou  hast  asked,  take  cour- 
age and  be  strong,"'  and  Brebeuf  could  see  the  great 
cross  coming  through  the  air  from  the  Iroquois  region ; 
yet  it  is  not  improbable  that  thus  the  Master  revealed 
their  fate.  They  lived  in  the  presence  of  death ;  but  as 
death  for  their  Master's  cause  would  bring  them  nearer 
to  God,  they  did  not  fear,  but  rather  longed  for  the  hour 
when  their  life  would  be  glorified  with  a  martyr's  crown. 
Carheil,  at  Cayuga,  was  sadly  meditating  upon  the  loss 
of  so  many  of  these  benighted  Pagan  souls,  when  the 
voice  of  a  friendly  Indian  awakened  him  from  his  reverie 
to  warn  him  of  the  determination  of  the  young  men  to 
slay  him  during  their  drunken  revelry.  His  sadness 
vanished,  and  his  heart  was  light  with  the  hope  of  im- 
mediate reward.  Though  no  other  prospect  awaited 
him,  yet  he  requested  his  superiors  to  permit  him  to  re- 
main in  this  desolate  danger  to  the  end. 

Pierron  among  the  Mohawks  writes  that  he  had 
used  sweetness  and  force,  threats  and  prayers,  labors  and 
tears,  to  establish  here  a  little  church  to  enlighten  and 
convert  these  savages.  There  remained  only  a  martyr's 
death  to  crown  his  work,  which  he  desired  with  his 
whole  heart. 

When  Millet  sang  some  church  psalms  for  the  On- 

I  Harris,  "Hbtory  of  the  eariy  Missions  n  Western  Canada," 


VIRTUES  OF  THE  MISSIONER.  269 

Te^trsinT^'"""'  '■'""'^f  "''"  '"  ^'"8  'he  Christian 

sou  80^^;=   H  '°"'7f  "y  ''"«'"«  '"«   missioner-s 
soul  song_h,s  desire  of  death  for  their  salvation. 

The  missioner  must  be  meek   and  gentle  as  his 

mri  ".-"i"/"'"  "^'^  *^"=^"'  of  'ha  indlns;  and  he 
ri^?H    ;  f<";,«.'"'°"8h  ^"-"go  themselves/ they  ap 
prec  ated  deeds  of  kindness.     He  mtst  be  brave  as  aUon 

patientVrThl  "T  "^''''  "  ^°"^^''-  "«  ">-'" 
patient,  for  the  work  must  necessarily  be  slow  and  tedi- 
ous. Pierron  said  he  would  consider  himself  amply  re- 
warded If  he  could  save  even  one  soul.  The  Tpirit  of 
Christ  m  an  eminent  degree  was  necessary  for  any  one 
who  would  lead  the  missioner's  life,  and  who  would  do 
the  missioner's  work.     He  must  be  a  man  like  St.  Paul 

iTv':  i'nZe  .'"'""   "'  ""'  '"*  "°^  '-  "  ^  ^"^^  --^^ 
The  Indian  missioners  among  the  Iroquois  were  men 

the  a^l  T/'""*^  *'"  ""^^  """^^  ''^'»  f^-0"T  h 
the  anna  s  of  the  world,  and  their  lives  are  to  all  men  a 

shinmg  light  of  heroic  self-sacrifice  and  noble  deedr 


.    «  ■' 


< 


. ..  1*  ■ '  ■ 


[]■ 

It'." 


ii;l- 


I 

i  h 


M 
i' 


i       . 


t      *,  ■    T 


4K-  — 


APPENDIX. 


^3  V 


IROQUOIS  TRAILS. 

THE  Iroquois  were  indefatigable  travelers,  whether  on 
the  war  path  or  the  hunt;  and  journeys  of  thou- 
sands of  miles  offered  but  slight  obstacles  to  their 
hardy  forms.  They  traveled  in  their  light  bark  canoes 
along  the  streams  and  the  lakes,  and  they  sped  rapidly 
through  the  dense  forests,  in  quest  of  scalps  or  game. 
They  generally  moved  along  in  silence,  in  single  file;  and 
the  most  important  trails  were  broad  and  well  beaten  by 
constant  use.  They  were  endowed  by  nature  with  the 
faculty  of  selecting  the  best  and  most  direct  route  be- 
tween distant  points,  and  the  trails  stamped  with  their 
moccasined  feet  were  approved  by  skilled  engineers  as  the 
most  feasible  highways  for  travel  through  the  state.  They 
glided  over  the  waters  of  their  rivers  and  lakes  in  their 
light  canoes ;  but  they  also  had  trails  along  the  banks  of 
the  rivers  and  streams  to  vary  the  monotony  of  travel,  or 
to  waylay  an  unsuspecting  foe.  A  great  central  trail 
passed  through  the  state  from  east  to  west,  beginning  at 
the  Hudson  River,  near  Albany,  and  terminating  on  the 
banks  of  the  Niagara.  It  ran  along  the  old  road  north  of 
the  capital  for  a  few  miles,  and  then  it  branched  off  towards 
Schenectady,  where  it  met  the  Mohawk  River  at  an  old 
fording  place.  It  continued  up  both  sides  of  the  rver,' 
past  the  Mohawk  villages,  to  the  Black  ^.ver  at  Rome. 

I  The  trails  did  not  follow  closely  the  bends  of  the  rivers  but  took  a  more  direct  course. 

ayo 


APPENDIX. 


271 


The  trails  followed  the  water  route  up  to  the  junction  of 
the  Black  River  and  the  Mohawk  River,  at  the  oresent 
site  of  Rome;  here  the  main  trail  lOok  a  westward  course 
into  the  beautiful  land  of  the  Oneidas.  Another  trail  led 
northward  from  Rome,  along  the  Black  River,  to  the  Os- 
wegatchie  and  the  St.  Lawrence.  There  was  a  long 
portage  in  the  water  route  from  Rome  to  Wood  Creek, 
which  opened  up  communication  with  the  lakes;'  but 
the  westward  travel  led  through  grand  forests  of  lofty 
trees.  The  trail  led  to  the  homes  of  the  Oneidas,  at 
Oneida  Castle;  and  then  it  entered  the  land  of  the  Onon- 
dagas  and  guided  the  traveler  to  the  capital  of  the  league, 
south  of  Manlius.  From  the  capital  trails  branched  out 
in  different  directions  towards  the  nations  of  the  league 
or  the  land  of  stranger;  for  war,  the  hunt,  or  state  affairs, 
kept  the  paths  well  beaten  which  centered  in  the  town 
of  the  Onondagas.  One  trail  ran  northward  past  Ganen- 
taa,  on  the  shore  of  Onondaga  Lake,  thence  northeast  to 
the  northern  end  of  Lake  Oneida,  at  Brewerton ;  and  then 
it  continued  through  the  forests  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  to  Famine  Bay. 

The  main  trail  proceeded  westward  through  Auburn 
to  the  land  of  the  Cayugas,  when  it  ran  southward  to  the 
chief  town  which  was  located  about  midway  from  either 
extremity  of  Lake  Cayuga  and  about  one  mile  back  from 
the  eastern  shore.  The  trail  then  returned  along  the 
border  of  the  lake  to  the  outlet  at  Seneca  River,  and  then 
it  turned  westward  and  followed  this  stream  to  Seneca 
Lake,  at  Geneva.  From  Geneva  the  trail  passed  on 
through  Canandaigua^  to  the  Seneca  towns.     From  the 

I  Early  emigrants  followed  this  route,  and  transported  their  goods  in  large  flat-bot- 
tomed boats. 

a  Canandaigua  was  the  name  of  the  Indian  village,  which  was  located  near  the  site  of 
the  present  pretty  town. 


272 


APPENDIX. 


I;  '    ,v 


lit  .  '  * 

l>  *  i  ■  ■ 

I* 


la   ■  I' 


■*-j- 


Seneca  towns  there  were  trails  to  Lake  Ontario,  along 
either  shore  of  Irondequoit  Bay,  and  to  the  ridge  below 
Rochester,  whence  a  trail  led  along  this  elevation  to  the 
Niagara  River.  The  principal  trail  crossed  the  Genesee 
near  Avon,  continued  westward  through  Leroy  and 
Batavia  to  Tonawanda  Creek ;  and  it  followed  along  the 
banks  of  this  creek  to  the  present  Indian  reservation 
where  it  divided,  and  one  part  led  to  Lewiston,  the  other 
through  Williamsville  to  Buffalo.  The  one  entering  Buf- 
falo came  along  Main  street  to  North  street,  where  it 
again  divided,  and  one  branch  went  west  to  the  Niagara, 
and  the  other  led  to  Buffalo  Creek,  and  then  northward 
along  the  sandy  beach  to  meet  the  other  branch  near  the 
Ferry. 

The  route  from  the  French  posts  on  the  St.  Lawrence 
to  the  Mohawk  towns  was  up  the  Sorel  River  to  Lake 
Champlain,  through  Lake  George,  whence  a  trail  passed 
direct  to  the  Hudson  River  at  Luzerne.  Thence  the  trail 
followed  the  Secondaga  to  Northampton,  and  passed 
direct  to  the  lower  Mohawk  town.  Another  route'  fol- 
lowed the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Oswegatchie 
at  Ogdensburg,  when  it  followed  the  banks  of  this  latter 
river  to  Black  Lake,  and  proceeded  along  the  northern 
shore  of  the  lake  to  Indian  River.  The  trail  continued 
along  the  banks  of  Indian  River  to  the  great  bend  near 
Evans  Mills,  when  it  crossed  over  to  the  Black  River 
which  it  followed  southward  to  Honnedaga  when  it 
crossed  over  to  the  banks  of  West  Canada  Creek,  and  it 
continued  along  this  stream  to  its  junction  with  the  Mo- 
hawk River  at  Herkimer. 

I  This  was  the  route  traversed  by  Father  Poncet  when  he  returned    rom  his  captivity 
among  the  Mohawks.    Gen.  Clark. 


,f. 


.P't;-'    '■■■ 

?       *    * 

•3.   .■  ■ 


THE  LEAGUE  OF  THE  IROauoiS. 

history,  and  i,  fs  probab.e  tl  ''"""'  '''"''  °'  '""ian 
fore  the  work  was  comp.efe  T/,  """""  P"^^^''  be- 
long before  the  white  Zn.  ""^"^  ^^^  f"™^^ 
quois.  and  it  shols  thaTth.  r  .'  '°  '^'  '^"^  °''^'  '™- 
endowed  with  thriE  If  «,"""'  ^^^*  "^  P'«"«f""y 
civilized  white  b  efhren    "frH^'^'^^-^^n^hip  as  their  more 

league  were  undoubteX  of  r„  "'""'  '"'^""^"^  '"  the 
tradition  assigns  the  S,,/wr'"''S.°"'8'"'"  """  '""ian 
their  primitiv!  home  uTinr  ^'^"  ''  "'^  ^""«  "f 
war  with  neighboring  nltiLl  1:^'*^"'  continually  at 
tecting  themselves  from  the  powei  t\"'"'/" ^  "^  P"-"" 
suggested  the  union  of  forr^c  t  u  ^"^^  "^  "'^  North 
nation  of  a  most  wle  and  wl'^r',  '''"""^  '"  «"«  f°- 

Indian  tradition^elates  thTtHt.'°'''''''''y- 
of  the  league,  but  HLwafh,      '         ''  '"'"  "'^  Sunder 

this  may  be  mereW  "'Zf^tf,  T"'  '"'  ^'*«  ""•"'  '■"d 
they  be«eved  the  au'hor  of  1  '°"  "'  *'  ''""*  ^"'^h 
Hiawatha,  say's  Iroquol  tra^l""'°"  '°  "^"^  P°^^««ed. 
hiawagon,  who  priced  Thj^ra  J?  '"'  ^^^  ^''°^°"- 
which  inhabited  the  sft  w  „ "ein  T  ^  '"?^''=^^ 
exodus,  and  who  finallv  mJrriA  ^^V^  °f  their 

^aga  tribe,  and  taught  Lpeo'lreTof'  '"^  ?°'- 
huntmg,  and  of  war.     The  ori^L  ^  agnculture, 

dispersed  through  the  land  aM  h  f^^  °*  '''"""'^^  had 
«ons.  and  so  ffr  had  their  TnteSs  tr' "^"""  ""- 

273 


274 


APPENDIX. 


*      ,i'' 


r 


it 


f- 

1 


that  Z.X  times  they  were  at  war  with  each  other,  and  the 
great  nations  of  the  North  and  West  might  any  day  in- 
vade their  lands  and  destroy  their  homes.  Stray  hunters 
brought  word  that  the  great  tribes  of  the  North  were 
(Preparing  for  the  war-path,  and  the  old  men  hastened 
to  Hiawatha  for  advice  and  guidance.  He  told  them  to 
call  the  wise  men  of  the  different  nations  to  a  council, 
and  runners  were  sent  out  to  summon  the  delegates  to 
meet  on  the  shores  of  Onondaga  Lake.  When  the  war- 
riors and  wise  men  had  assembled,  Hiawatha  glided 
swiftly  over  the  waters  in  his  wonderful  canoe  to  the 
council  house.  The  warriors  and  wise  men  had  discussed 
plans  for  the  defence  of  their  homes  without  reaching  any 
conclusion,  and  all  anxiously  awaited  the  wise  counsel  of 
Hiawatha.  Hiawatha  advised  union:  "For  if  our  war- 
riors unite,"  he  said,  "we  can  conquer.  We  must  have 
one  voice,  for  many  voices  make  confusion.  We  must 
have  one  fire,  one  pipe,  and  one  war  club."'  Wise  men 
were  selected  from  each  nation,  and  the  supreme  chief 
was  chosen  from  the  Onondagas,  because  these  had  been 
schooled  in  the  wisdom  of  Hiawatha.  Then  Hiawatha 
gave  them  more  wise  counsels,  entered  his  wonderful 
canoe,  and  disappeared  in  the  clouds. 

Morgan  holds  that  the  formation  of  the  league  was 
the  work  of  time,  and  many  councils  were  held  before  the 
confederacy  was  firmly  established.  Fifty^  sachems  were 
appointed  to  form  the  central  council,  and  these  possess- 
ed supreme  authority  over  the  nations  of  the  league.  All 
were  equal  and  possessed  joint  authority  but  no  territorial 
jurisdiction.     The  post,  however,  of  honor  was  given  to 

1  Elias  Johnson.    "  History  of  the  Six  Nations." 

2  The  Mohawks  had  nine  sachems,  the  Oneidas  nine,  the  Onondagas  fourteen,  the 
Cayugas  ten,  the  Senecas  eight;  but  the  Senecas  had  the  principal  war  chief. 


dthe 
y  in- 
inters 
were 
tened 
;m  to 
uncil, 
tes  to 
I  war- 
glided 
to  the 
:ussed 
igany 
nsel  of 
r  war- 
;t  have 
e  must 
;e  men 
e  chief 
d  been 
iwatha 
derful 

ie  was 

)re  the 

were 

)ssess- 

AU 

ritorial 

ren  to 

Irteen,  the 


APPENDIX. 


275 


To-do-da-ho,'  an  Onondaga  sachem,  and  ha  was  recog- 
nized as  the  official  head  of  the  league.  Sachemships 
were  hereditary,  but  the  new  sachem  must  be  confirmed 
by  a  council  of  all  the  sachems  of  the  league  before  he 
could  exercise  any  authority. 

The  sachems  of  each  nation  constituted  the  council  of 
that  nation,  and  they  wielded  the  same  authority  in  their 
respective  nations  that  the  great  council  exerted  over  the 
league.  They  had  no  power  to  force  their  conclusions,  and 
the  effectiveness  of  the  decisions  depended  upon  the  wis- 
dom of  their  views.  The  Indian  mind  is  averse  to  manifold 
laws,  and  he  is  iiot  inclined  to  obey  the  mandates  of  others 
except  when  these  commend  themselves  to  him  under  the 
form  of  pleasure  or  profit  to  himself  or  honor  to  his  race. 

The  league  was  held  together  by  the  lies  of  family 
life,  and  the  different  nations  were  merely  inter-related 
families  aspiring  to  the  same  end.  The  same  clans  ran 
through  the  league;  and  the  Mohawk  member  of  the 
Wolf  clan  was  a  brother  of  the  Seneca  Wolf,  and  so  near 
was  this  relationship  that  no  one  was  allowed  to  marry 
into  his  own  clan.  This  principal  made  the  league  a 
great  family,  with  identical  interests,  and  established  it 
upon  lasting  foundations.*  The  office  of  chief  was  not 
created  by  the  founders  of  the  league  but  naturally  arose 
from  the  war  customs  of  the  people.  Any  warrior  might 
form  a  war  party  by  merely  inviting  others  to  join  him  in 
the  war  dance;  and  those  who  were  most  successful  on 
these  expeditions  were  gradually  honored  as  leaders,  and 
in  time  they  became  chiefs,  with  an  influence  and  a 
following  as  great  as  that  of  the  sachems. 

1  He  was  probably  prominent  in  war,  and  Indian  tradition  apothieosized  him. 

2  A  short  time  ago  the  St.  Regis  Indians  were  received  as  brothers  by  the  Senecas, 
after  a  separation  of  nearly  200  ;>  vi.  The  political  existence  of  the  league  ended  in 
1 783,  with  the  restoration  of  peace 


•  >; 


276 


APPENDIX. 


The  women  might  also  hold  councils  to  discuss 
matters  of  public  interest,  and  their  conclusions  often  sug- 
gested arguments  to  the  sachems  at  the  great  council  of 
the  league. 

The  structure  of  the  league  was  admirably  conceived, 
and  its  operation  was  free  from  many  of  the  cumbersome 
features  o^  the  governments  of  civilized  states.  It  was  a 
popular  form  of  government,  which  made  the  Iroquois  the 
most  famous  and  most  powerful  nation  among  the  Indians 
of  North  America;  and  only  the  advancing  hordes  of 
white  men  could  have  broken  the  power  of  the  league, 
which  was  feared  from  Hudson  Bay  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 


discuss 
ten  sug- 
uncil  of 


iceived, 
)ersome 
was  a 
Liois  the 
Indians 
rdes  of 
league, 
4exico. 


